Hope Is For People
by PumpkinHead13
Summary: Shuuhie is an anxious punk who works at an independent firm called Seireitei Publishing's. For years, he's secretly harbored feelings for his boss, Kensei. But now that a hot red head has moved in next door, things have turned into a love triangle that everyone wants, but didn't know they needed.
1. Hope Is For People

The gross sound of feedback came from the old guitar amp Shuuhei got at a yard sale when he was a teenager. Grimacing, he kicked the faded orange box lightly before walking over and turning it off properly.

"Dude, you gotta get a new amp," Ichigo called from the other side of the room, his bass hanging low on his hips.

"I know." Shuuhei waved his hand dismissively as he unplugged his guitar and rolled the chord in his hand.

"You're not trying to _sneak_ out on us, are you?" Shuuhei looked over his shoulder and reacted in just enough time to dodge a projectile drumstick. Ikkaku glared at him from the other side of his drum set.

"Yeah, I gotta finish this article and…" Shuuhei rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Those sound like excuses to me," Ikkaku berated, folding his arms over his chest.

"Don't be a dick," Ichigo defended. Chad nodded, but said nothing.

"Whatever, this asshole is _always_ trying to bale on us," Ikkaku shot back.

Shuuhei shuffled his feet awkwardly and looked down. "Fine. I guess I can stay for a little while," he finally caved.

"That's what I thought," Ikkaku grinned and climbed over his drum set. "I need a break from this shit anyway." The bald man stretched out his arms, causing his shoulders to pop.

"Looks like I'm not going to get any work done tonight." Shuuhei sighed, but followed the rest of his bandmates up the narrow stairs out of the basement.

"I didn't realize how late it was." Ichigo said, stepping onto the small porch, looking up at the setting sun. Shuuhei shrugged on his jacket and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

"Hmm," he put the unlit cigarette to his lips and leaned against the railing.

Ikkaku emerged from the house, carrying two bottles of beer, handing one to Shuuhei and taking a drink from the other.

"So, what's up with your boss?" Ichigo smirked as he looked in Shuuhei's direction.

"What? Nothing!" Shuuhei responded, almost too quickly. Panic in his voice.

"Oh?" Ikkaku leered between sips of beer. "Doesn't sound like nothing." Shuuhei felt his face heat up at the unwanted attention.

"Really, nothing is happening. He's always so…" Shuuhei trailed off.

"Screamy?" Ichigo suggested.

"Yeah." Shuuhei lit the cigarette, letting the smoke hover around him. "He's going to give himself an aneurysm one day," the raven haired man mumbled.

"Wouldn't that just make things better for you once you finally decide to fuck him?" Ikkaku added, barely paying attention. Both Ichigo and Shuuhei gave him a concerned look.

"How would that make things better?" Ichigo asked, clearly annoyed by Ikkaku's stupidity.

"You know, some people like screamers." Ikkaku defended, taking larger sips from his beer.

"What?" Ichigo and Shuuhei stared at their drummer, dumbfounded.

"If anything, that would be a detriment to the situation," Shuuhei added.

"No, it wouldn't. You'd know if you're a good lay," Ikkaku shot back, knitting his brows in frustration.

"I think Yumichika is too kind to you," Ichigo retorts.

"Fuck off, Strawberry." Ikkaku finished off his bear and went back inside, only to return with another.

"Seriously though, what's going on with your boss?" Ichigo pressed the issue again.

"Like I said, nothing. If he's not yelling at me then he's not really paying attention." Shuuhei took a small swig of his beer, grimacing at the taste.

"Unfortunate. Maybe you should move on, if anything it might make him jealous," Ichigo suggested.

"Yeah, that might work." Chad, who had been silent the whole time agreed.

"Who the fuck would he even be jealous of? It's not like I have anyone _else_ lined up," Shuuhei self-deprecated.

"I'm sure you could find someone. You're not bad looking," Ichigo encouraged.

"Says the straight guy." Shuuhei laughed in spite of himself.

"Eh, you ain't my type," Ikkaku shrugged.

"Thanks, I feel _so_ much better about myself." Shuuhei put out his cigarette and went inside to grab another drink. If he was really going to have this conversation tonight, then he needed something stronger than beer. Turning around, Shuuhei didn't immediately notice Chad standing beside him.

"Fuck! We need to get a bell for you." Shuuhei jumped back in surprise. Chad smirked and shrugged off the comment.

"Ichigo is right, you know. Maybe you should move on." Shuuhei chewed on his lip and stared at his feet. Chad clapped his hand over the other guitarists shoulder before exiting the kitchen.

Puffing out a sigh, Shuuhei pulled his phone out of his pocket. He felt his face heat up as he noticed three missed calls from his boss.

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" Shuuhei raked his hand through his messy hair before attempting to call back. No answer.

"God damnit," He panicked before attempting again.

"Hisagi!" Greeted a gravelly voice that made Shuuhei weak at the knees.

"Mr. Muguruma, I'm sorry that I didn't answer sooner. I was in a basement, and the reception there is terrible, and…" The anxious man began to ramble his excuses.

"Don't worry...Hisagi...HISAGI!" His boss shouted his name to silence the frantic explanations.

"Ye...yes?" Shuuhei shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Calm down. Rose and I are at the chu hai stand by the office."

"Okay?" Shuuhei didn't understand why Kensei was telling him this, they never interacted socially. There's no way his boss would want to drink with him. With his mind racing, he almost missed what the other man said.

"...are you coming or not? Ha, Akon just walked in with Mashiro," Shuuhei heard broken parts of other conversations while he thought about it.

"Yeah, I can be there in about a half hour. I'm still at Ikkaku's and…"

"Great! See you soon," Shuuhei was still mumbling as his boss hung up. He stared at the phone dumbly while he processed the conversation. He listlessly walked out of the kitchen, his bandmates staring at him in confusion.

"Shuu?" Ichigo cautiously made his way to him.

"Fuck, who died?" Ikkaku murmured.

"Kensei just asked me to meet him for drinks," Shuuhei was still staring at his phone. The black screen seemed to be mocking him.

"Awesome! See, I _knew_ things would work out!" Ikkaku grinned.

"Yeah, just don't take his advice on anything else," Ichigo grumbled.

"Whatever. What time are you meeting him?" Ikkaku disregarded Ichigo's comment.

"In like, thirty minutes," Shuuhei checked the time on his phone.

"BYE!" Ikkaku all but shoved his friend out the door.

"Good luck," Chad gave an awkward thumbs up.

"I'll be back later for my gear!" Shuuhei called over his shoulder as he departed. His mind was already racing with scenarios involving his own embarrassment with his boss.

"I'm going to fuck this up, I just _know_ it,"the anxious punk mumbled as he kicked at the sidewalk while making his way to the nearby train station.

The ride wasn't very long. Shuuhei hovered close to the doors of the train car as he waited for his stop. Leaning against the back of one of the seats, he distracted himself by staring at his phone. Glancing up every so often to check for his stop.

 _'What if I make a fool of myself?'_ Shuuhei bit his lip as he thought more about all the things that could go wrong tonight. Before he could dwell more on the subject, his stop was announced and the doors to the car opened.

Passengers flooded the platform as he made his way down the steps and out of the station. Looking around in confusion, Shuuhei pulled out his phone to text Akon to see which chu hai stand they were at. There were a few in the area. It didn't take long for his friend to reply and he made his way over. Once he was close to the bar, Shuuhei spotted Akon outside.

"I didn't think you would come," Akon was leaninging against the building. A cigarette hanging from his lips, a lime green drink in his hand.

"Yeah, well..." Shuuhei trailed off as he made his way over.

"You should know, Mr. Muguruma is already tipsy." Akon didn't hide his sinful smirk as he said this.

"Oh, _good._ " Shuuhie's shoulders slumped at the idea. He wasn't sure how his boss would act while intoxicated.

"It won't be _that_ bad," Akon commented as if he were reading the other man's thoughts.

Shuuhei just grimaced, then awkwardly made his way into the small bar. It wasn't so much a bar as it was a narrow building, no larger than a hallway. There was a grimey table placed in the center, with older men scattered throughout the room, red-faced and laughing. The bar itself was at the furthest end of the room. The punk man looked frantically for his boss while he maneuvered through the sea of people. Getting a drink seemed to be the easy part. After he shouted his order to the bartender, Shuuhei continued his search.

"Hisagi!" He whipped his head around when he heard his name being called. Scanning the room, Shuuhei finally spotted silver hair bunched into a faux hawk. It looked like it was drooping though, from being in the humid atmosphere for too long. Shuuhei waved and made his way over, after apologizing to almost everyone he came in contact with.

"I didn't think you were going to make it," Kensei slung a heavily muscled arm over Shuuhei's smaller shoulders. Slumping at the sudden weight on him, Shuuhei's drink sloshed in its glass. Splashing out, it nearly missed Kensei's button up shirt.

"Woah, Kensei. Better be careful, or you'll have to buy Hisagi a new drink," Rose teased. Shuuhei just sipped his drink awkwardly, as the two older men started a conversation he couldn't fully hear. Before long, his drink was empty and Shuuhei ducked away to order another.

The night progressed slowly with Shuuhei drinking in attempt to gain interaction. It mostly left him feeling awkward and a little buzzed.

"That Matsumoto chick is pretty hot though," Kensei mentioned to Rose, as their conversation veered back to work.

Shuuhei could feel his face heat up as he heard Kensei comment on their clients' body. He almost missed the question when the two men turned to him.

"Uh...yeah. She's a great author." Shuuhei said, not really believing his own words.

"You think so? Her work is all over the place. It's almost like there's multiple writers and she just takes the credit. But, at least she's hot," Akon scrutinized in between sips of his drink.

"She does lack continuity, but at least she sells. And without that, none of us would have jobs," Rose half heartedly defended.

"You all talk too much about work. It sounds _soooo_ boring," Mashiro complained.

"Right, and what you do is so much better," Kensei shot back. Shuuhei listened as the two bickered.

"Well, we did get a new guy in the parlor. His work is pretty good. But he mostly does black and white stuff." Mashiro folded her arms in a pout.

"Oh yeah? I'll have to see if he can do a piece for me." Kensei grinned.

"Shuu-kun, when are you going to _finally_ get your lip done?" Mashiro ignored Kensei's comment.

"Well, I don't know if…"

"Just do it." Mashiro interjected.

"Sounds like someone is losing clients," Kensei teased.

"Am not," Mashiro weakly defended.

"I'll come by later this week. How about that?" Shuuhei said in attempt to stop the banter. Mashiros' face lit up.

"You're actually going to let her get close to you with sharp objects?" Akon teased. Mashiro stuck her tongue out defensively.

"Hey," Kensei slurred and inched closer to Shuuhei. "She did my eyebrow," he defended.

"I think you should get a different piercing," Rose smirked. Shuuhei's face turned a dark red at the other man's implications.

"I don't know about…" Shuuhei stammered, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, maybe a nipple ring." Kensei grinned and began pulling at Shuuhei's shirt playfully. Akon leaned close to Shuuhei at that moment and whispered in his ear. Shuuhei, who was in the middle of sipping at his drink began to cough. Rose raised an eyebrow at the situation.

"Oh, what did Akon suggest? A Jacob's Ladder?" Kensei grinned wolfishly.

"I'm not doing that, pervert," Mashiro teased.

"Maybe you could talk Izuru into it. Pretty sure he's wanted to get into your pants for years." Kensei suggested.

Did Shuuhei sense jealousy in his voice? Was he getting too drunk and imagining things? Looking down,he noticed his cup was empty. Maybe he wasn't drunk _enough_.

Another round of drinks later, Shuuhei finally started to loosen up. The group made their way outside of the bar so that Akon and Shuuhei could smoke. It was a welcomed change in environment, the bar was becoming crowded and stuffy. Kensie's faux hawk was completely down now. Silver hair falling over his eyes as he laughed about something Mashiro said.

' _Damn, that man is_ _ **hot**_.' Shuuhei thought as he blew smoke into the night air.

"What was that?" Akon raised his non existent eyebrow. Shuuhei realized too late that he had voiced his thoughts. Although, after looking around, he didn't think anyone else heard him.

 _'The one time my mumbling habit paid off_ _,_ _'_ Shuuhei grinned to himself.

"Nothing." He waved his hand at Akon clumsily as he began to feel the full effects of the nights' drinking. Slumping against the brick wall of the building, Shuuhei took another drag from his cigarette.

"I think someone has had one too many chu hais." Kensei leaned against the wall and grinned down at Shuuhei.

"Yeah...maybe." The punk man could feel his face heating up and he worried his lip between his teeth.

"Come on, kid. Don't do that," Kensei's smirk grew. Shuuhei released his lip in that instant and pouted at the ground.

"Hey, Kensei! Rose is crashing on our couch tonight. You grabbing a cab with us?" Mashiro called. Akon sighed and pushed himself off the wall.

"I'll help her out if you get Shuu home." Akon flicked the butt of his cigarette and started walking towards the road.

"Thanks Akon," Shuuhei looked up with a half smile.

Sometimes Akon was to observant. He noticed Shuuhei's crush on their boss before even _he_ did. His mocked surprise was evident when Shuuhei drunkenly confided in him months ago. Although, he could do without the subtle teasing. Sometimes it worked in his favor, like right now.

"Shut up and get home without dying," Akon said as he walked towards the pair watched their friends drive away in silence.

"So, do you remember where you live?" Kensei teased.

"You don't have to walk me home. I'll be okay." Shuuhei said rubbing his arm awkwardly. He'd hate to think he was inconveniencing anyone.

"I don't mind. Live close by anyway," Kensei placed his arm around Shuuhei's slim waist and wrapped one of his lanky arms over his shoulder, putting most of the smaller man's body weight on him.

"Let's go." Kensei began carrying Shuuhei in the direction of his apartment.

It didn't surprise Shuuhei that he woke up alone, and in the clothes he wore last night. What did surprise him, however was the loud banging coming from the hallway.

"What in the actual fuck?" Shuuhei groaned to himself as he tried to bury his face in his pillow. Another loud thud had him on his feet and walking out of his apartment to investigate.

What Shuuhei found made more sense than his sleep brain was trying to rationalize. There was a small group of movers carrying boxes to the (no longer) vacant apartment next door.

"It's too early for this shit." He closed his door and walked back to his bedroom.

Noticing the glass of water and two light blue pills placed on his nightstand made Shuuhei smile.

 _"Kensei was in_ _ **my room**_ _!_ _"_ Shuuhei gushed to himself. _"And I sound like a thirteen year old girl_ _,_ _"_ he immediately scolded.

Taking the pills and changing into pajamas, Shuuhei tried to find sleep. He was almost there when there was a knock at the door. Barely opening his eyes, Shuuhei pulled himself from his bed and to the door.

Standing in his doorway was an attractive redhead with black tribal tattooes. He wore a tight fitting grey t-shirt and a wolfish grin. Shuuhei knew that if he weren't so sleep deprived, he would be gawking.

"Uh...hi. I'm Renji Abarai, your new neighbor."

"Fuck," Shuuhei mumbled. The stuffy basement hummed with feedback of the amp as Shuuhei unplugged his guitar and began packing up his things. Practice had run late again and it felt like it was about to rain. Rubbing the scar on his face in annoyance and stuffing cables into his guitar case, he made his way to the door.

"Hey, don't think that you're sneaking out on us again!" Ikkaku yelled from behind the drum set. Shuuhei dodged a projectile drum stick and shrugged off his guitar strap.

"Let him leave, it's not like we're really doing anything." Ichigo interjected, his bass hanging low on his hips. Ikkaku slumped in his seat and rolled his eyes.


	2. Minor Threat

It seemed the old building shook as the door was slammed in Renji's face.  
'Did this guy just shut the door on me?' Renji growled to himself.  
On the other side of the door, Shuuhei ran a hand down his face and sank slowly to the floor.  
'Okay, Shuu. You can talk to this guy. He's just a person... a very attractive, muscular, person.' Shaking his head and pulling himself to his feet, the brunet opened the door and was greeted with an empty hallway.  
"Yeah, that sounds about right." The anxious punk worried his lip between his teeth before deciding to just go back to bed.  
Hours later, Shuuhei was woken by the sound of his phone. Without looking, he answered with a harsh "What?" Light chuckling greeted him, causing the brunet to groan in annoyance.  
"And a good afternoon to you too, Shuu-chan." Akon's monotone voice sang sarcastically. Blinking several times in an attempt to get his eyes to adjust, Shuuhei pulled his phone away from his face to check the time.  
"Fuck, I didn't realize how late it was." Shuuhei mused, squinting this time at the sudden brightness. More low laughter came from the other end.  
"Mashiro told me there's a new guy in her shop that has an opening later today if you want to get a piercing. She sent you a message, but I guess you were sleeping." The pale man informed. Shuuhei just kept blinking.  
'Glasses... Where are my glasses?' The punk man looked on his bedside table where they normally sat but found nothing.  
"Great," the punk mumbled.  
"Hmm?" Akon questioned from the other end. "Well, I gotta run. Mashiro said to be there around three. Tootles." After the conversation was over, Shuuhei threw his phone aside before climbing out of bed and preparing for his day.  
No amount of coffee or cigarettes would make his headache go away as the brunet made his way to the train station. After reading, then re-reading the countless messages from Mashiro, he sent a reply that he was on his way. She sent back a cat emoji. After twenty minutes of standing in a packed train car, Shuuhei finally made his exit and began the short walk to the parlor.  
The shop was a tall narrow building with crumbling brick. It used to be a dentist office. There was a faded sign not far above the one for the parlor with a cartoony looking tooth brushing itself. Mashiro always joked that it was their mascot and that everyone who worked there was going to get a matching tattoo of it.  
Walking inside, Shuuhei was greeted by a studious-looking woman at the front desk. She was beautiful but seemed out of place in a grungy tattoo parlor. She seemed more fitted for a library  
"Welcome to Rukongai Ink." She said presently without really looking up from what she was doing.  
"Hey, Nannao is Mashiro busy?" Shuuhei shoved his hands into his pocket to give himself something to do. He always felt uneasy whenever he talked to the woman before him. She was always nice. But, there was something about her that made Shuuhei feel like he was going to get detention whenever he spoke to her.  
"She's with a client right now. But I think she should be finishing up. If you would take a seat, I can let her know you are here." Nannao smiled at him before walking off.  
"Thanks." Shuuhei mumbled before sitting on a red leather couch. It used to be plush, but now there were rips and patches of duct tape decorating its body. There were also random scribble marks made with marker, and of course, a few dick drawings.  
The wait was long enough to make Shuuhei nervous. He knew that someone he hadn't met before was going to pierce his lip today. He had become friends with most everyone that worked in the parlor over the years, and the idea of having someone new in here made him anxious. His thoughts were interrupted when Mashiro and another man walked into the waiting area.  
"Hey Shuu, this is our new guy." Mashiro grinned as she stood back and put her arms out like she was displaying something. The brunet felt all the blood drain from his face as he looked up at the tall muscular man before him.  
"Oh, god damn it," Shuuhei grimaced as he locked eyes with his new neighbor.  
"For serious?" Renji laughed before holding out his hand. Shuuhei clumsily shook it before shoving it back in his pockets.  
"What did I miss?" Mashiro looked up at the redhead.  
"That's the guy I was talking about this morning," Renji laughed.  
"The one you said was hot but rude?" Nannao questioned. Renji blushed a shade that resembled his hair. The two women laughed, and Shuuhei felt out of place.  
"Anyway... Let's go to the back and see what we're working with," the redhead winked at the anxious punk.  
As they went over placement for the piercing, Shuuhei felt his nervousness subside. Renji was casual as he spoke to him like they had known one another for years.  
"So, I don't think a labret would look good on you. Maybe on the side instead?" Renji drew a small purple dot on the right side of Shuuheis lip and held up a vanity mirror. Looking at himself from different angles, the dark-haired man decided he liked this option more.  
"I think you're right. Let's do this instead," Shuuhei felt his anxiety bubble back up when Renji walked away to grab the things he would need to begin. Mashiro was tapping away on her phone, occasionally looking back at Shuuhei. This didn't exactly help his nervousness.  
"At least the radio is playing," he grumbled and tapped his fingers on his knee.  
"I hope the music is okay. Mashiro mentioned you liked punk."  
"Huh? Oh… yeah-" Shuuhei began before Mashiro cut him off.  
"Shuu is in a band too!" The anxious man glared in her direction before nodding meekly.  
"Really?" Renji snapped on his gloves and began toying with various jewelry.  
"Yeah, he's totally different on stage. I was shocked when I heard him sing." Mashiro went on, oblivious to the other man's embarrassment.  
"He's the singer?" Renji was unable to keep the shock from his voice. Shuuhei blushed a bright red that reached his ears.  
"And plays guitar." Mashiro went on.  
"I bet you have tons of groupies. Girls always go for the shy guys," Renji teased.  
"Some guys too." Mashiro chimed in with an evil wink.  
'Oh, my God. Mashiro! Shut the fuck up.' Shuuhei thought as he tried to sink into his seat. Renjis grin widened as he prepared his station.  
"Really? Do I have a lot of competition?" the redhead joked as he glanced in Shuuheis direction.  
Mashiro just laughed and leaned forward in her chair to watch the new employee work.

"Alright, you ready?" Renji sat on a stool and moved closer to the other man.

"Ye…yeah." The punk tried to sit up straight and remain still as he felt damp cotton on his lip.  
"If you need to hold my hand, I don't mind," the redhead smirked. Shuuhei stuttered before he felt a gloved hand on his lower lip.  
"Alright, on three. One…two…" There was a sharp sting as Renji threaded the needle through Shuuheis lip. There was a brief sensation of pressure that was replaced by a sharp tugging.  
"Alright, almost there... don't move." The redhead instructed as he pulled the needle back and secured the stud in place. Another pat from a damp cotton ball and Renji scooted back.  
"And we're done," the artist smirked at his work. After handing back the mirror so he could see the piercing, Shuuhei examined his face.  
"There will be some swelling for a few days. You can get this cleaning solution up front. It has a funny smell, but it works." Renji glided his thumb across Shuuheis lip as he went on about the aftercare.  
"I'm glad I went with a longer bar for you. Your lips are pretty full." The flirtatious contact made the brunets stomach flip. He was sure he was misreading the signals. They were interrupted by the chime of a bell, indicating a new customer had come in.  
"I got it!" Mashiro called over her shoulder and went into the waiting room. Renji just nodded before turning his attention back to the man before him.  
"So, is there anything fun to do in this town?" Renji asked as he began cleaning up his station.  
"Well, there's some cool record stores close by." Shuuhei looked at his feet as he spoke, feeling self-conscious about small talk.  
"Man, you really like music," Renji laughed. This made the punk feel worse. "Aww, don't feel bad. It's what you like." The redhead reassured, sitting down across from the gloomy man.  
"But more importantly," Renji scooted his chair closer as he spoke. "I think you owe me for this morning. I like hipster coffee shops."  
"Oh…okay," Shuuhei stammered. Renjis wolfish grin spread across his face.  
"Well, looks like we're finished here. I'll walk you out." The artist moved to the side, allowing the shorter man to stand and start walking into the waiting room.  
Mashiro was talking to Nannao and giggling about something under her breath as the two men walked into the room.  
"What did I miss?" Renji leaned over the counter and took one of the business cards from the nearby stand. Shuuhei couldn't help but stare at the taller man started patting his pockets, then moved to grab a marker from his messy hair. It was up in a sloppy bun. When the marker was removed, it fell around his shoulders.  
"Fuck…" Shuuhei gawked. There was another explosion of giggles.  
"You say that a lot. Or am I special?" the redhead smirked before removing the cap with his teeth.  
"I…uh…um," the shorter man stammered for a reply, his face feeling hot. Shuuhei felt movement behind him suddenly as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist. He was then pulled to a toned chest.  
"You forgot your damn glasses last night, brat." Kensei spoke into Shuuheis ear, his breath trailing down his neck causing the younger man to shiver. A pair of thick, black frames were placed on Shuuheis nose. Kensei moved his arms back to the brunets sides, allowing his fingers to ghost along the younger man's arms before pulling away.  
"Oh, is this your…uh, boyfriend?" Renji sheepishly asked.  
"I'm his boss." Kensei answered for the punk, puffing out his chest slightly.  
"So, that means you're single?" Renji joked. He then took a step closer to the nervous punk and pushed the glasses up his face a little.  
"They were slipping," Renji halfheartedly defended before scribbling something on the back of the business card. Kensei scowled and folded his arms as he watched.  
"Here's my number if you decide you want another piercing, or…" Kensei took the card suddenly and put it in his shirt pocket.  
"You'll just lose it," the older man defended.  
"Good point. Let me just put it in your phone." Renji didn't miss a beat as he capped the marker and put it behind his ear.  
Shuuhei looked at Kensei briefly before complying. The redhead's smirk only grew as he typed away on the device.  
"Let me know when you want to go on our date," Renji handed back the phone.  
"And walk him home tonight so he doesn't get lost!" Mashiro called from where she and Nannao were watching at the counter.  
Kenseis face seemed to go pale as he watched the redhead flirt with his employee.  
'Who the fuck is this guy? Why is he flirting with Shuu? What an ass hole! Thinks he's so fucking cool. Oh, look at me! I'm this stupid, hot, redhead. Let me just smooth talk my way into your life. Dick.' Kensei fumed to himself as he watched the two men flirt.  
"So, I'll see you tonight. I get off at nine." Renji let his fingers linger on Shuuhei's for longer than Kensei felt necessary.  
"Yeah…I guess you will," Shuuhei stared at his hands dumbly.  
"Alright Hisagi, time to say bye to your new friend." Kensei ordered and began walking towards the door.  
"See you later, Renji," Shuuhei awkwardly waved before following his crush out the door.  
"Kensei! Wait!" Mashiro called before running to meet him.  
"Did you talk to Shuu about the kitten?" she stood on her toes as she spoke.  
"You saw me standing here the whole time! Did you hear anything about a fucking cat?" Kensei glowered at the small woman.  
"You don't have to be a dick about it!" Mashiro pouted and glared back.  
"Fine! Hisagi, you want a cat to keep you company?" Kensei yelled at the lanky man who was standing on the sidewalk.  
"Uh…I" Shuuhei never really thought about getting a pet. He liked cats but wasn't sure about how sudden it all was.  
"Uhh…you want a fucking cat or not?" Kensei barked again, mocking the punk.  
"Is he always such an ass hole?" Renji leaned in and not so quietly whispered to the green haired woman next to him.  
"Yeah, you kind'a get used to it." Mashiro waved him off.  
"If you need help taking care of it, let me know!" Renji cupped his hands over his mouth as he spoke over a screaming Kensei. The silver-haired man gave a quick glare before turning back to the man beside him.  
"Can I at least see the cat first?" Shuuhei scratched the back of his head.  
"I have pictures!" Mashiro pulled out her phone and skipped over to the dark-haired man. There was picture after picture of a black fluffy kitten.  
"Isn't he cute? Don't you just love him?" Mashiro pushed the phone closer to his face, dramatically.  
"Yeah,…he's adorable." Shuuhei laughed at the energetic woman.  
"Great. He's at our place. I'm parked over there." Kensei pointed to the side of the building where there was a small parking lot.  
"Wait, right now?" Shuuhei could taste his nervousness in his throat.  
"Yeah, is there a problem?" the older man grunted.  
'I'm going to Kenseis house! Okay, Shuu. Don't be weird. Don't do anything weird. Don't say anything weird!' The punk began picking at his nails as he stood in front of the parlor. Kensei glared at him as he impatiently waited for a reply.  
"Will you stop that and get in the fucking car?" Kensei swatted the younger man's hands apart. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Shuuhei followed his boss to his car and climbed into the passenger seat. There was faint music coming from the speakers that Shuuhei instantly recognized as his band. He looked at Kensei, whose face went red before he turned off the radio.  
"I didn't know you were a fan," Shuuhei beamed.  
"What kind of boss would I be if I didn't support my employees?" Kensei busied himself with the seatbelt before exiting the parking lot.  
"Does this mean you go to Akon's art exhibits?" the younger man snickered.  
"Well, I went to one. It was…an experience," the silver-haired man laughed.  
"Yeah, some of his stuff is a little extra. The first one I went to, he just painted his body black and white and stood in the middle of a room for like two hours," Shuuhei recalled.  
"Wasn't that when he had blue hair?" Shuuhei nodded and Kensei made a sharp turn down a narrow road.  
A few stop lights later, and Kensei pulled in front of a tall gated house. Getting out of the car, Shuuhei followed his boss to the front door.  
"Sorry about the mess. Mashiro likes to leave all her derby gear in the entryway." Kensei opened the door. Sure, enough there was a lime green helmet and worn-in knee pads thrown by the shoe rack.  
"Fucking slob." Kensei shook his head before motioning for his guest to follow him. Shuuhei took this opportunity to look around. The living room was spacious with ivy plants hanging from the ceiling. There was a slate grey sectional in the corner, an abused scratch post sat next to it.  
"The cat's around here somewhere. Do you want something to drink while I look for him?" Kensei offered as he made his way into the kitchen.  
"Water is fine," Shuuhei was still looking at all the cat toys that seemed unused. There was rustling in the kitchen followed by a Kensei yelling.  
"Goddamnit, Kazeshini! Get off the fucking fridge!" Shuuhei jumped as he heard more things falling to the floor.  
"I found the cat!" Kensei called and walked into the living room, a squirming ball of black fluff in his arms. Putting down the glass, Kensei held the cat up at eye level.  
"This is Shuuhei. We are nice to Shuuhei," he told the cat, who swatted at his nose.  
"Asshole." Kensei said before placing the cat on the couch.  
"Hi, kitty." Shuuhei timidly held out his arm for the cat to sniff at him briefly before the feline started rubbing his face into his hand.  
"Wow, I guess he doesn't hate everyone," Kensei laughed.  
"Why are you getting rid of him anyway?" the cat began rubbing against his thigh.  
"Well, one of the girls on Mashios derby team moved and wasn't allowed to have pets. I guess Mashiro forgot she was allergic to cats." Kensei rolled his eyes as he spoke.  
"Oh, I thought he was just destructive or something." The cat jumped to the coffee table and knocked over the glass of water.  
"Oh, he is. That's why we call him Kazeshini. He runs around the house and gets into shit. But he seems to like you pretty well." Kensei laughed before getting back up to clean the spill.  
"Oh…great." the dark-haired man stood up to help, causing the cat to swat at him playfully. After cleaning up the mess, the two sat back down. Shuuhei noticed his thigh was almost touching Kenseis. He tried to move it as little as possible.  
"I'm sure you'll get along well," Kensei reassured. "He really likes this toy over here." Kensei pointed briefly before leaning into Shuuhei's seat.  
"Huh?" the punk gasped as the other man's face inched closer to his own. Abruptly shutting his mouth, Shuuhei tried to lean back further on the couch. In doing so, his nose brushed against Kensei's.  
"S…sorry," the punk man stuttered out.  
"It's alright," Kensei smirked and leaned in more. Shuuhei could feel his face heating up, and then he heard a bell as Kensei grabbed the toy. This got the attention of the fluffy kitten and he clawed up a muscular leg and pawed at the toy, scratching Kensei on the chin.  
"Shit!" Kensei threw the toy and cupped his face.  
"Oh, fuck. Are you okay?" Shuuhei stood suddenly, looking for something to clean up the blood.  
"Yeah, there's a first aid kit in the bathroom. Do you mind?" Shuuhei jogged down the hall before coming back with the kit, he then tried to get a better look at the cut.  
"Let me see." Shuuhei sat back down on the couch and started cleaning the wound. A light hiss came from the older man as alcohol was applied to the cut.  
"Wow, he really got you good." Shuuhei started looking for bandages before laughing. Kensei blushed before grimacing.  
"Really? Gudatama band-aids?" Shuuhei covered his mouth to suppress more laughter.  
"Mashiro bought them," the older man huffed and turned away, his blush reaching his ears.  
"Hey, I can't clean up your face if you keep looking away," the younger man teased. Huffing out a sigh, Kensei turned his face back so the cartoon bandage could be placed on it.  
Before the first aid kit could be put away, Kensei cupped Shuuhei's cheek and brought their faces closer together  
'Oh god, what is happening?! Is he trying to kiss me? No, there's no way this is really happening.' Shuuei's mind was racing as he tried to make sense of why his boss was so close to him.  
"Looks like your lip is starting to swell. I guess that red-headed douche is decent at his job," Kensei said trailing his fingers down Shuuheis face softly.  
"Oh, yeah. I guess he is a little forward." Shuuhei felt uneasy under his gaze.  
"'A little.'" Kensei mused, inching his face closer still. Shuuhei eyes fluttered closed and leaned into the other man's touch. He could feel Kensei's breath on his skin and shivered lightly. A loud buzzing made them both separate suddenly. His phone was vibrating on the table.  
"Someone's jumpy." Kensei teased. Shuuhei fumbled with the device before reading the message.  
"Mashiro gave me your number. Don't forget, I get off at 9. ;)"  
"Speak of the devil." Kensei scowled when he glanced at the phone.  
"I forgot about showing him how to get home." Shuuhei fidgeted with the stud in his lip before sending a reply.  
"And why do you have to do that? You're not his fucking babysitter." Kensei frowned, his eyebrows knitting together.  
"He's my new neighbor." the punk answered meekly.  
"Small world." Kensei rolled his eyes and stretched his arm out over the couch frame. Shuuhei sat up awkwardly.  
"Will you relax?" Kensei scolded. The punk timidly leaned his body against the couch, although the tension remained.  
"So, does Kazeshini have a carrier?" Shuuhei looked everywhere but at the man beside him.  
"Yeah, Mashiro planned on you saying yes. So, almost everything is ready to go. He has so many fucking toys though." Kensei said, kicking a fake mouse across the room, the black kitten darted to chase after it.  
"Well, I better get home before I have to meet Renji," Shuuhei began to stand.  
"Yeah." The silver-haired man sounded less than thrilled as he helped the punk gather up the remaining cat toys and load them into his car. Getting the cat in the carrier resulted in Kensei getting out the first aid kit for Shuuhei, who got a scratch up his arm.  
"We need to come up with a story so we don't sound like bitches who got taken out by a damn cat." Kensei joked after wrapping Shuuheis arm, putting a Gudatama band-aid over the gauze.  
"Maybe you do. I think this is pretty believable for me," Shuuhei joked.  
"At least we'll have matching band-aids," Kensei added another one, causing the younger man to laugh.  
"I think I'm good. Thanks, Dad," the punk rolled his eyes comically.  
"Who told you I liked to be called that?" Kensei joked. He could see the other man's face redden. The blush crept up his neck and to his ears, his whole face turning a bright shade on his tan skin. Shuuhei tried to speak, realized he had no words, then closed his mouth.  
The anxiety seemed to ebb away on the car ride back to Shuuheis apartment. Together, they found a place for all Kazeshinis belongings, while the kitten explored his new home.  
"Good thing you wear a lot of black. There's going to be cat hair everywhere," Kensei teased.  
"At least I'll have someone to come home to now," Shuuhei grimaced at how depressing that sounded.  
"Well, I better leave so you can show that dip shit how to get home," Kensei patted the younger man on the shoulder, his hand lingering for a few seconds before adding. "Be safe getting there. Mashiro told me there's some guy that likes to hang outside the curry place next door."  
"Oh, shit. Thanks for the heads up," Shuuhei frowned as he walked Kensei to the door.  
"Call me if you need any help with the cat. Bye Kaze. Be good." he pointed at the cat before leaving.  
Shutting the door, Shuuhei went to sit on the couch. The black kitten wasted no time jumping on his lap and getting settled. The cat stayed there for a few minutes before leaving to explore his new home some more.  
Finally, it was time for Shuuhei to leave for the parlor again. Gathering his things, he gave a last look at Kazeshini. The kitten was in the dining room, chasing a guitar pick.  
"I'll be back soon." Shuuhei called before leaving for the train station.  
The warm night air greeted him as he walked off the platform and along the road. There were a few people smoking by the 7/11, as well as an older man yelling at a vending machine. Ducking through the small crowd of people, Shuuhei turned down the back road to the parlor. Remembering what Kensei told him earlier, Shuuhei got out his phone to let Renji know he was close. He could already see the sign for the parlor when someone walked out of the nearby alley.  
"Hey, you got a light?" A grungy looking man asked. Shuuhei instantly knew this was the guy Kensei warned him about. He was much taller than Shuuhei and had obnoxiously long fingernails.  
"Sorry man, I don't" the brunet tried to leave the situation, backing away slowly.  
"Fucking liar. You're here all the time. I know you smoke!" the man became aggressive as he took a step closer.  
"Yeah…but, I don't have one on me right now." The punk put his hands up in a defensive manner as the other man staggered in place.  
"Give me your wallet then," he snarled, blocking Shuuheis path.  
"Wha…" Shuuhei was sweating now, his anxiety coming to the surface.  
"You heard me. Give me your fucking wallet!" The man yelled and began digging in his pockets. He then pulled out a rusty pair of makeshift brass knuckles. There was black electrical tape around the rings, and spikes from what looked like old Goth jewelry screwed on the top, giving it a crown-like appearance.  
"Woah, okay. Okay!" Shuuhei panicked and did as he was told.  
"And your phone!" the grungy man demanded.  
"Fuckin' really?" Shuuhei complained. Before he could move to cooperate, the mugger rushed him and punched him in the jaw. The brass knuckles scrapping up his skin as Shuuhei was hit again and again. The shock of the situation didn't give him much time to fight back as Shuuhei fell to the ground. There was sudden yelling and the sound of wood hitting flesh. The injured man looked up with blurry vision to see a mess of red hair.  
"Yeah, you better fucking run! I don't wanna see your nasty ass around here again!" Renji called before dropping the baseball bat and helping Shuuhei to his feet.  
"Fuck, he really got you good. We need to get you to the hospital!" Renji gently looked over the three ugly slashes that were seeping blood down the left side of Shuuheis face.  
"That bad, huh?" Shuuhei could feel his pulse in his ears as the redhead helped him to his feet before gathering his belongings off the ground.  
"At least he dropped your shit," Renji threw one of Shuuheis lanky arms over his shoulder as he walked him into the parlor.  
"Mashiro! Call your roommate! Some ass hole just attacked Shuuhei!" Renji called once they got inside. The green haired woman ran into the waiting area and gasped loudly.  
"Who would do this to our poor Dumpling!" she cried as she pulled her phone out.  
"What?" a gruff voice answered.  
"First, find your chill. Second, I need you to come take Shuu to the emergency room. He just got attacked by some mugger." Mashiro explained. She then put the call on speaker and placed it on the counter.  
"What! Is he okay? "Kensei shouted in a panicked voice.  
"We don't know! That's why he needs to go to the hospital!" Mashiro shouted back.  
"I'm on my way." Kensei said before hanging up.


	3. Constant Headache

While they waited, Mashiro did what she could to clean off her friend's face and clothes.  
"Wow, you have a lot of blood," she tried to joke as she patted the cuts.  
"Thanks?" Shuuhei tried to laugh at the situation, but opening his mouth hurt.  
"Are you able to see?" Renji asked, trying to get the injured punk to follow a marker with his eyes.  
Suddenly, Kensei rushed into the door, practically taking it off its frame.  
"Is he going to go into a blood rage?" Renji looked at the green haired woman with concern.  
"Honestly…he might. He's very protective of his kohai," she explained. Renji just nodded.  
"HISAGI! Are you okay? What happened?!" Kensei roared as he barreled through the shop. "I knew I should have gone with you tonight. If I was there this wouldn't have happened." The older man kneeled in front of the punk, looking for any other visible damage to him.  
"Well, you can feel sorry for yourself while you drive," Renji spoke, getting a glare from the older man.  
"Yeah? And where were you while this was happening?" Kensei stood suddenly, locking eyes with the redhead.  
"Well, while you were at home, I hit the guy in the arm with a bat. And now Shuuhei isn't missing all his shit!" Renji met the shorter man's glare.  
"Alright! Put your dicks away! We still need to get this poor babe to the ER!" Mashiro silenced the two men, although the nasty glares continued. Shuuhei heaved a heavy sigh; it was going to be a long ride to the hospital.

...

The next few days were mostly spent inside the small apartment. Shuuhei found that even the simplest things were giving him anxiety, and often lead to panic attacks. So, he didn't go out much, which made him feel even worse.  
Getting work leave was both a blessing and a curse. He was thankful that he didn't have to be around people any more than he had to. But sitting in his apartment, unable to do much only made him restless.  
"It's not like you can see well enough to be useful," Akon had bluntly told him when he came to visit.  
There was also a growing insecurity when the doctors had told him the scaring would be permanent. There was no damage to the eyeball itself, thankfully. But the cuts that went from Shuuhei's forehead to his jawline were deep and jagged. In the end, he had to get nine stitches along his eyebrow. He was pretty sure the hair would never grow back. Thinking about all this only made the anxious man feel worse.  
He was given an ointment that had to be applied every few hours, as well as antibiotics and some painkillers. Those just made him sleepy. Not that he was doing much else. The punk could barely read with one eye bandaged up all the time.

...

Eventually, Shuuhei was slowly able to wear the bandages less and less. Although, it was becoming a habit to keep them on. During that time, Kensei or Renji would come by to help out with the housework.  
"When was the last time you left this place?" Kensei had asked when he stopped by with food. The older man wasn't great at emotional things, so he did what he knew how. He did random things around the house that are rather hard when you don't have depth perception. He also brought over food and picked up Shuuhei's medicine when needed.  
The shy, younger man just shrugged in response to the question. It was early August, and he hated the hot weather. The AC was cranked up as high as it would go, and there was at least a fan in every room. But both men were still roasting, the punk watched as sweat glistened down older man's neck to disappear behind his work shirt, causing Shuuhei to gulp.  
"You're going to freeze these plants before they have a chance to grow," the silver-haired man chastised as he sprayed an ivy plant with water.  
"They're fine," the younger man defended meekly.  
"Why are you still wearing those bandages? Didn't the doctor say you didn't have to anymore?" Kensei asked, watching Shuuhei retreat to the living room. The injured man sank into the couch.  
"I don't want to accidentally scratch my stitches," he explained. Even to his ears, it sounded like a pathetic excuse.  
"Whatever," thankfully his boss dropped the subject.  
Most of Kensei's visits were like that. Awkward small talk, while cleaning or doing some other menial task that Shuuhei wasn't able to get around to. The young editor thought about bringing up their almost kiss a few times but had no idea what to say. Let alone what the outcome would be if he did. He wasn't sure he would be able to handle the rejection on top of his anxiety.  
When Renji came over, things were less tense. He was laid back, and quirky. Something that Shuuhei welcomed.  
"So, I got you this record as a 'get well soon' sort of thing. Mashiro said you liked this band." The tattoo artist held out an album with four men wearing different colored ski masks. The punks' face lit up.  
"Oh, wow! I've been looking for this record! Thanks so much!" Shuuhei beamed as he put the record with his collection.  
"You're not going to play it?" the other man grinned.  
"Uh…my friends usually hate my music. I just assumed you didn't want to hear it."  
Renji shook his head, "Nope. I'm not like that, man. I want to know more about what you like and this kind of genre is up my alley."  
The two spent the evening listening to records and drinking coffee that his neighbor made too sweet. The punk grimaced at the taste every time he took a sip but said nothing.  
After that night, Renji came over a lot more. It was nice for Shuuhei, who spent so much time alone. Even Kazeshini seemed to like him, curling up next to him on the couch as they binge-watched random shows. Or pawing at him to throw a mouse the redhead had been teasing him with.

...

Days went by with Shuuhei ignoring any conversation with his bandmates. He felt guilty about it, but he couldn't bring himself to see any of them. Knowing Ichigo and Chad, they wouldn't say much. Ikkaku was brash and would only make him feel like shit for not defending himself better. He didn't feel like talking about it anyway. He hadn't even bothered to tell them he was in the hospital. In his way of thinking they would be better off.  
The punk was surprised when the knock at the door wasn't followed by Renji or Kensei. Instead, standing in the hall with a case of beer, was Ikkaku.  
"Wha…?" Shuuhei began as his bandmate welcomed himself into his home. Toeing off his shoes and making his way to the kitchen, heading straight to the fridge to put some of the beverages away while looking for a bottle opener.  
"Hello, Ikkaku. Yes, you can come in," Shuuhei said sarcastically as he shut the door and followed behind.  
The bald man turned around and glared at his guitarist. He stomped out of the kitchen and glared at the slightly shorter man. Shuuhei tried not to shrink under the drummer's scrutiny.  
"What the fuck happened to you? You've been blowing us off for weeks!" Ikkaku shouted.  
Shuuhei glared but backed up slightly. He hated being yelled at and was looking for an escape. Kazeshini, who was sleeping on the couch woke up and began hissing at Ikkaku.  
Ikkaku stopped yelling at the sound but held his stance. He then got a better look at his band mate's face; the guitarist hadn't put on any bandages since he figured he'd be alone for the day. So he turned his head away and hoped that his cranky drummer hadn't noticed the scars, with no luck.  
"Where did you get those cuts, Hisagi?" he demanded.  
With a dejected look, Shuuhei explained what happened the night of the mugging. The bald drummer calmed himself fractionally and eased onto the couch. The black kitten hissed again before darting to hide in another room.  
"Shit, dude. I didn't know all that. Can you see well enough to keep playing?"  
"Yeah, my eye wasn't really hurt. I'm able to see," he explained flatly. Shuuhei and Ikkaku never got along well, often over music. The drummer had mostly metal influences with his previous band, which made his beats hard to keep up with. The hardheaded man often made the excuse that the others just weren't playing fast enough.  
The two drank beers in silence. Neither of them wanting to talk more than they had to, they were rarely alone, it was rather awkward.  
Another knock on the door caused Shuuhei to jump before moving to answer it. Chad and Ichigo were on the other side holding take out and more beer like peace offerings. The four of them then sat in the living room and bickered about the newest song they were working on. Chad silently strummed at one of Shuuhei's acoustic guitars, while Shuuhei and Ichigo went through the lyrics Ikkaku had scribbled down.  
"Maybe if we add this line to the chorus it will flow better?" Ichigo suggested.  
The rest of the night was spent with the band working on songs and making fun of Shuuhei for having a pet kitten. Then making fun of Chad for the kitten sleeping on his lap.

...

The day finally came when Renji brought up their coffee date. The conversation seemed sudden and forced as Shuuhei fidgeted on the couch. He'd rehearsed what he was going to say in his head as he watched his neighbor play with Kazeshini.  
"There's a good place my band mates work at," he meekly suggested.  
Renji was sprawled out on the floor, dragging a string back and forth in front of Kazeshini.  
"Yeah? What's it like?" his neighbor didn't look up as he spoke.  
"It sort of reminds me of a dive bar we played at in Shibuya a few years ago," the guitarist mused.  
"Nice. When are you taking me there?" Renji looked up and batted his eyelashes. Shuuhei looked through his phone before answering.  
Days later, the young editor was glaring at his reflection as he took his time getting ready for his and Renjis' date. The three freshly healed scars glared back at him, the first aid kit in the bathroom seemed to be calling his name. Even though his friend had seen him since the mugging, the punk still felt self-conscious about his face. He also didn't feel like dealing with people staring at him. He got that enough with his tattoos. Wrapping gauze around his eye was like second nature after weeks of doing so.  
He chewed on his thumb as he frowned at his reflection again. The scars were neatly covered by the bandages as he mentally prepared himself to be in public. He timidly made his way out of his apartment and to Renjis door.  
"What are you doing with those over your pretty face?" his neighbor greeted, leaning against the doorframe.  
"I…uh..." Shuuhei began timidly.  
"Didn't want people staring?" Renji offered. The young man nodded and the two left.  
There was some indie band playing from the speakers and almost all the workers had tattoos, piercings, and strange colored hair. The room was decorated with work from local artists and bands. There were coffee cups tethered from the ceiling, listing the oddly named menu items. There was a stage in the far corner as well as milk crates full of books and records.  
"Wow, you weren't lying about knowing a cool coffee shop. I'm impressed," the tattoo artist grinned as he looked around.  
"Welcome to Come at Me Brew." A girl with an emerald green Mohawk smiled as the two men reached the counter. The redhead looked confused as he went over the menu. None of the names made sense to him as he read through them.  
"What is a 'Basic AF'?" Renji looked from Shuuhei to the barista.  
"That's our Pumpkin Spice Latte," the woman laughed lightly.  
"I'll have a Goth with a shot of Sleep When I'm Dead."  
They had found a seat far away from the other customers, Shuuheis' right side facing the wall. He closed his eyes and take a deep breath. The smell of ground coffee beans, the atmosphere of the shop, as well as his date calming him. When he opened his eyes, he saw deep brown ones staring back at him, with a gentle smile.  
"So, you gonna take off those bandages and show me your pretty face?" Renji asked in a low voice.  
"Nope." Shuuhei grinned back. He rubbed lightly at his cheek and looked back at the counter. His date turned just in time to see an orange haired man carrying a try with their drinks.  
"Hey, Shuu. I didn't know you were going to be here," Ichigo grinned as he placed the drinks on their table. "Who's your friend?" He continued, tucking the trey under his arm. After an awkward greeting and some small talk, Ichigo left with a wave.  
"Your bassist seems nice. A little out of place here, though," Renji grinned.  
"Yeah, he's really cool. Kind of reminds me of you," Shuuhei teased.  
"More competition," the redhead snapped his fingers playfully.  
"Relax. He's straight. Has a girlfriend and everything. And who said anything about competition?" he gave Renji a puzzled look. The other man just scratched the back of his neck and grinned.  
They both sipped their coffee in silence. Shuuhei wouldn't look at the redhead as he tapped his finger on the table in time to another song playing. He watched from the corner of his eye as the tattoo artist sipped his coffee. When Renji turned to look back at Shuuhei, the editor's eyes were glued to the crates of records across the room.  
"So, how is your lip feeling? Thinking of changing it for a ring instead?" Renji attempted at conversation.  
"I guess that would be cool," Shuuhei looked away from the vinyl's to openly glance at his seatmate.  
"Come on. Don't look like you just got the death sentence," the tattoo artist joked.  
"Yeah, sorry. It's just…people," he heard himself finish lamely. "Not sure I'm up for a whole lot today."  
Renji just grinned and waved him off. "Don't worry about it. We can just do dinner at my place or something," he then took another sip of his coffee.  
"That sounds better than a restaurant," Shuuhei felt his face crack into a lopsided grin.  
There was a moment of silence where neither of them spoke, both of them staring out at the small crowd of people. There was a thin pale woman sifting through the books at the neighboring table as well as two hung-over punks rubbing their heads and downing iced coffees.  
"So, what got you into tattooing?" Shuuhei asked. The artist just shrugged.  
"I've been doing it for years. Started when I was in high school, I ended up giving Izuru his first piece, now that I think about it," he mused.  
"Oh, that marigold on his shoulder?" the brunette leaned his elbows on the table.  
"That's the one. This is my first parlor though," then he mumbled. "I had a…different job before moving."  
"Oh, that sounds exciting," Shuuhei smirked and finished his drink.  
"Well, the pay was good, but the hours were long. And I would come home exhausted and covered in glitter," Renji laughed.  
"You were a sex worker, weren't you?" Shuuhei joined in the laughing. His date just smirked in reply.

...

After they left the café, the two wandered around the area. Shuuhei showed Renji his favorite places to buy musical equipment and his favorite record store. His anxiety seemed to deflate as they made their way home. The train wasn't as packed as it normally was. Living so close to Tokyo meant dealing with large crowds. That was the one thing the anxious man hated more than anything about living near such a large city.  
Once they got back to the apartment, Shuuhei opened the door to find Kazeshini darting back and forth between rooms. The kitten stopped to stare at the two before making a strange noise and galloping towards the bedroom. A loud crash soon followed.  
"Someone got into the catnip," Renji joked before taking a seat on the couch. Shuuhei soon followed, feeling the plush frame with his hands before stumbling into Renji.  
"Shit, sorry," he fidgeted on the couch as he sat down on the seat next to him. Renji scooted closer and draped his arm over the couch frame.  
He leaned in towards his host, a smirk on his face. "Don't worry about it, Shuu-chan. Plus, I don't think you need these anymore," he said gently.  
Shuuhei could feel his face go red as his date inched closer, cupping his injured cheek in his hand. As gently as he could, Renji removed the wrappings. His fingers tracing over the scars, this caused the punk to shiver.  
"Much better," the statement came out like a purr from the tattoo artist's lips when he finished.  
His finger then traced the other man's jawline before inching his face closer and kissing the plump lips he'd been daydreaming about. Shuuhei stiffened at the unaccustomed affection before relaxing slightly as the redhead slowly peppered kisses down his neck. He felt himself being pulled into Renjis lap as the taller man gripped his slim hips and sprawled out on the couch. Their lips soon met and the editor felt himself melt into the other man's arms, causing him to moan and Renji to reciprocate. They kissed again as his date's hands wandered up his shirt, dragging his nails lightly down the young man's toned chest.  
"Do…do that again," Shuuhei whimpered as he straddled his neighbor and tried not to buck his hips.  
The redhead repeated the action with a little more force, dragging a low wine from the man above him. Shuuhei clapped a hand over his mouth to silence himself. His hips moving on their own this time as he started a sloppy rhythm. Renji was delighted with this reaction; he hadn't come across anyone who was so sensitive and he wanted to relish in the moment.  
The brunette was vaguely aware of his shirt being removed as one hand traveled from his hip to his chest to tease a pierced nipple. Shuuhei couldn't stop the moan that escaped him, causing Renji to smirk before leaning forward and replacing his fingers with his mouth, sucking gently on the pert tip.  
"Ahh…fuck! Renji!" Shuuhei panted as he fisted his hands in messy red hair.  
Renji groaned at the feel of having his hair pulled, then lapped at the hardened bud before pulling away to nip at his lover's neck again. "So, noisy for me, Shuu," he teased before rolling his own hips up, causing another whimper to be pulled from his partner. Callused hands moved to cover the moan that escaped, but Renji stopped him.  
"Uh uh, Shuu-chan," the artist tutted, "Don't deny me the sound of that sexy voice of yours."  
One of Shuuhei's hands was brought to the other man's crotch, feeling the hardened length that swelled and twitched under his palm. It made them both groan, while Renji moved to nibble on Shuuhei's ear. The other man's face turned towards the affection like he'd been craving for the attention. His cheeks were red, his breaths becoming pants, while Renji ravished him.  
"Your voice does things to me, I can't wait to hear it when you come," he growled while taking off his shirt.  
Shuhei felt himself harden more at the sight before him. Tribal tattoos were emblazoned on the tanned skin, emphasizing all the right parts of Renjis physic. His hips stuttered, rubbing against his lover's own hardened and larger length.  
"That's it Shuu-chan," Renji encouraged as he began undoing the musicians pants. "Don't hold back, let me see and hear everything."  
Shuuhei let his head fall back as Renji stroked his cock through his boxers. Moans falling freely now as his hands fumbled to undo his lover's pants. Still whimpering helplessly, Shuuhei freed Renji's cock before stroking him to full hardness.  
"Oh! God damn, Shuu. You look so fucking sexy right now." Renji grunted as he pulled the brunette's cock out and began stroking in fast, strong tugs.  
"Hu…Renji..'s too much," he moaned as he furrowed his eyebrows and tried to match the other's rhythm.  
There was a loud crash coming from somewhere in the apartment. Renji halted his actions and looked around. Shuuhei seemed unfazed his mind filled with lust as he continued stroking Renji's cock.  
"It's just the cat getting into shit," Shuuhei groaned, bracing one hand on the couch frame.  
"Oh, okay," Renji nodded briefly before getting Shuuhei to help him remove the rest of their clothes, then continuing his actions. He looked up to see the young man with his eyes closed and nibbling on his lip. This went on for several minutes; both men desperately jerking each other off. Renji stole another kiss before pinching Shuuhei's nipple. The editor hissed before sinking his teeth into the redhead's neck, he then felt a hand groping his balls. Shuuhei felt himself jerk with a sharp gasp as that hand wandered farther back to brush against his entrance. As he gasped the digit entered gently, and then started up a rhythm that he found himself riding.  
"Ren- Ah! Oh, that feels..." he trailed off as small gasps fell from his kissed swollen lips. His pace became choppy when Renji added a second finger. He would give a few short strokes before halting his actions, moaning helplessly in the process.  
"Are you getting close?" the redhead teased, already knowing the answer.  
"Oh, fuck. Yes, Renji. I'm so…" Shuuhei cut himself off with another whimper. His lover swallowed his cries in another deep kiss. Finding his lovers' prostate to gently massage it as he quickened his motions.  
"So am I. But I need you to go harder," the redhead sighed into his ear. Doing as he was told, Shuuhei gripped Renji harder, stroking faster. Precum bubbled at the tip of Renjis cock as he sank into the couch.  
"Mmhhmmm…faster, Shuu. I'm so close," the redhead sighed, snapping his hips up.  
Both hands quickened their pace as Renji came with a howl. His whole body stiffened as he rode the waves of his orgasm. Shuuhei cupped his free hand over the others' cock to keep from making a mess, while his other hand slowed its movements.  
"Fuck, fuck…FUCK!" The redheaded panted as he pumped Shuuheis cock. The brunette rocked his hips in time with Renjis hand. Placing both hands behind him, Shuuhei gripped muscular thighs. A third digit working at his entrance, they ghosted over his sweet spot, and before he knew it, he was coming hard as well. His body shaking from the weight of his climax.  
"Ah…ah…KENSEI!" Shuuhei gasped as he came all over his chest. His eyes open wide in shock.  
"What the fuck?" Renji shouted before he realized there was movement behind him.  
Standing in the opening of the hallway, was Kensei. Headphones hanging around his neck, a tool belt lose around his waist. He looked at his employee in shock.  
"Holy shit! I just saw Shuuhei cumming all over himself. He said my name. Don't get a hard-on, Kensei." The older man thought as his face turned red.  
"Wha.. what are you doing here?" Shuuhei asked, realizing too late that his boss had the perfect view of his naked form.  
"I, uh…came over to fix your shelf. Remember, I said I'd be here Friday," his boss explained, looking at anything but the men before him.  
There was an awkward silence while the older man grabbed his things and hurried out the door.  
"Oh, my God. My boss just saw my dick." Shuuhei groaned after he and Renji cleaned themselves up.


	4. I Need Some Brain Damage

The black sedan sped out into the street as Kensei gripped the steering wheel. He felt his blood boil as he stopped at a red light. Dragging a hand over his face, Kensei tried to push what he just saw out of his mind. But, filling his head was the sight of Shuuhei, naked and covered in his own spunk. The cute little whines falling out of those deliciously plump lips. Kensei felt himself getting hard as he tapped impatiently at the steering wheel. The light finally turned green.

"I need a shower. A very cold shower," the silver haired man grumbled to himself, as he backed into his driveway and climbed out of the car.

Thankfully, Mashiro had to open at the parlor, so Kensei had the house to himself. He immediately began disrobing and making his way to the bathroom. Locking the door out of habit, Kensei finally took off his boxers. He glared down at his erection and turned on the shower, feeling for a colder temperature.

"Fuck." He grimaced as he stepped under the harsh stream of water. Letting the cold hit his body, wetting his hair, willing his hard on to go away.

 _"He wasn't saying your name because of that, Kensei. Stop being a pervert."_ He thought while working shampoo through his hair to distract himself.

Forcing himself to glare at the wall, Kensei washed his body. The luffa brushing against his legs had his mind wondering back to the memory of Shuuheis muscular thighs. The way they had hugged that idiot redhead's hips. Kensei imagined himself in Renjis position instead. He was looking up at his employee in his mind and gripping at his hips.

"God damnit!" Kensei growled in frustration as he finished cleaning himself. Turning the knob to its coldest setting, Kensei forced himself to shiver under the stream.

"This is bull shit," the older male glared at his unruly cock again. It just twitched in response.

Kensei had made it a point to not think about Shuuhei while he was masturbating. He had mostly been successful. There was one time Shuuhei crept into his mind while pleasuring himself. He had never cume harder, but it had been difficult to look at the other man at work the next day. But now that he had a clear image of how that body looked, how he moved and sounded, Kensei found himself stroking his half hard cock.

Turning the water to a more reasonable temperature and bracing a hand on the shower wall, Kensei finally allowed his mind to wander. Images filled his head of Shuuhei doing the filthiest of things. The way he would look up at Kensei as his sucked his cock, cute little whimpers vibrating around his length. Or maybe Shuuhei tied to his bed, Kensei driving into him slow and deep, the poor boy just begging to cum as he pulled at his restraints. Kensei found he really liked the idea of Shuuhei begging.

Kensei spread his legs to allow a wider stance as he stroked himself. Low groans spilled from his lips as his mind wandered further. His thoughts kept going back to Shuuhei on his couch, calling Kensei's name as he shook through his orgasm. The way sweat rolled down his neck and he threw his head back. How he tried to cover the noises he made with his hand.

 _"Fuck, the noises he makes_ _.._ _."_ Kensei thought as his hand went from the wall, to his chest to pinch at a hardened nipple. The thought of Shuuhei whimpering his name spurred Kensei on. Gripping himself tighter, Kensei sped up his strokes. Another low groan left him as Kensei groped himself.

Muscular hips bucked into his hand as Kensei's pace became choppy. He could feel his orgasm building. More perverted thoughts clouded his mind as stroked away. He began to wonder how it would feel to be inside Shuuhei. Kensei was rather large all around. He was sure there would be a lot of preparation involved.

" _Oh, God. I bet he turns into a needy little brat too_ _,_ _"_ he smirked that evil smirk of his as he thought about slowly stretching that thin body. They way that cute face of his kohai would contort in pleaser as he begged for Kensei to go harder, faster.

"Daddy, please let me cum!" He could hear Shuuhei whine as he imagined pumping in and out of that tight abused hole.

That's what finally pushed Kensei over the edge. Sucking in a deep breath, short pants exhaled out of him as he finally climaxed. If possible, he came harder than the first time he allowed himself to think about the punk.

"Fuck…Shuuhei…" Kensei leaned his head on the shower wall as he came. He stood there, letting the hot water pound against his body a little longer as the evidence of his lust was washed down the drain.


	5. Mediocrity Gets You Pears

The day Shuuhei returned to work was rather awkward. Kensei found it hard to look at his underling as he busied himself in the copy room. He couldn't get those perverted images out of his head, no matter how hard he tried.

"You can't ignore the kid forever." Shinji teased on their lunch break. He pointed his chop sticks at the silver-haired man to emphasize his point.

"Obviously, you don't know how petty I am," he snapped back.

"All you did was _see_ him naked. It's no big deal," Rose just laughed and sipped at his third cup of coffee. The two men just rolled their eyes at how much detail he seemed to miss.

Shuuhei, also tried to avoid his boss as much as he could. The only reason he was even at the office was because they were currently short-staffed and the author he was working with was having her work gone over for final proofing before publishing. He only left his desk when he needed to, and pretended to be on the phone when Kensei came in for article drafts. He couldn't fully understand why he was so nervous. It's not like he could get into any real trouble from what happened.

"What's got you wound up so tight?" Akon walked into the office without knocking.

"What? Nothing!" the younger brunette was pulled away from his thoughts in a panic. If his pale friend laughed as he made his way into the office.

"Hmm. Doesn't seem like nothing. More like you're avoiding a certain someone, to me. I wonder why," came the rhetorical reply. Akon leaned against the desk and smirked down at Shuuhei. The young editor fidgeted in his seat before eventually cracking under the pressure and telling his friend everything that happened.

"So, I guess things with the new boyfriend are going well. I don't remember you putting out so easy," Akon teased.

"Oh, uh…yeah. I think he used to be an escort or something," Shuuhei laughed nervously, ignoring Akon's comment.

"I have an idea," Akon stated, changing the subject. "Why don't we go out this weekend? It could get your mind off…things," the pale man searched for the right word.

"I don't know. I think I'm just gonna hide in my apartment with my cat. My band has a gig this Saturday anyway." Shuuhei shrugged and turned back to his work.

"Nah, you're going out with me. I'll see you up Friday," Akon waved him off.

The punk watched his friend go, feeling anxious over whatever he had planned.

The rest of the day was spent avoiding Kensei and making copies of his hand. When it was finally time to go home, Shuuhei tried to linger back and wait for everyone to leave so he wouldn't have to share the elevator. He made it down one floor before the door popped open.

"Hisagi," Shinji greeted with a nod and a too-wide smile.

' _Oh, shit. He knows what happened_ _,_ _'_ Shuuhei thought and tried not to freak out.

"Hey…what floor?" Shuuhei stuttered out, finger lingering on the buttons.

"Hold on, Kensei is coming down too," Shinji informed. His grin seemed to take up his whole face at this point.

'Fuck my life.' Shuuhei was sweating with anxiety now. When his boss stepped in he just nodded to them, refusing to make eye contact. Fortunately, Shinji was talking the whole ride down.

"I'll have to go out with you two next time. I bet you're a fun drunk." Shinji teased as he bumped Shuuhei on the shoulder.

"As long as you don't mind carrying him home," Kensei rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure you didn't mind one bit. He looks light," Shinji pinched at the younger man's arm before retracting his statement. "Oh, you've got some muscle to you. Bet he's got a fucking six pack too, right Kensei?" Shinji continued his teasing.

"I don't fucking know." Kensei turned to where he was parked. There was an obvious blush seeping from underneath his button up.

"Someone's embarrassed," the blond sulked.

"Huh…yeah." The brunette felt that was his cue to try to sneak off to the train station without being noticed.

"Hisagi! Get in the car. I'll drive you home." Kensei was standing in front of his car, fidgeting with his keys.

"Oh, that's okay. I can walk," he tried to excuse himself again.

"Not after what happened last month. I don't mind," Kensei offered a small smile.

Shuuhei felt his body heat up as he said goodbye to Shinji and got in the car. The ride back was awkward and quiet. The only sound coming from people outside talking as they stopped at a red light. Kensei turned to the brunette several times, but said nothing.

Once they got to the apartment complex, Kensei parked at the side of the road, but didn't turn the car off. Shuuhei stared at him before moving to open the door.

"You really like him, don't you?" Kensei was gripping the steering wheel as he spoke.

"I, uh…" Shuuhei searched for the words.

"Never mind. You don't have to answer," the silver-haired man back peddled.

"Oh. Okay?" Shuuhei couldn't hide his confusion. Looking from his boss to the door, Shuuhei lowered his hand back to his lap.

"I'm sorry that you had to see… _that_ the other day," feeling his face turn cherry red, the punk continued. "It must have been awkward when I said, you know." Shuuhei was feeling more mortified by the second. He looked out the window to distract himself; his sempai seemed to be just as embarrassed.

They were quiet for a while, neither wanting to leave the conversation awkward.

"Shuuhei." Kensei said, making eye contact with him finally.

The young punk looked up with a small "Yeah?" picking at his nails as he waited for his boss to continue.

"I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy. Even if…" Kensei trailed off.

"'Even if?'" Shuuhei questioned. The muscular man just shrugged it off with a grin.

"Even if I had to see you two getting it on." He covered up. The two forced laughs before saying their goodbyes.

Shuuhei made his way inside, sighing as he leaned over his kitchen counter. Kazeshini jumped up to great him, waving his tail in Shuuheis face. Swatting the cat away, Shuuhei scrolled through his phone. There were a few unread messages from Ichigo about their show this weekend.

He replied with a day for them to get one last practice in before the date. Walking to his fridge, Shuuhei found some old take out and leftover beer.

"Maybe Renji will wanna go out." Shuuhei turned to Kazeshini who was distracted by something in the other room and took off running.

The red-head had eventually sent a text back to let Shuuhei know he was working late. Tossing his phone aside, the punk laid on the couch, an unlit cigarette between his lips. He stared at the ceiling as he thought over the awkward exchange he and Kensei had. The other man's words still ringing in his head.

"Even if…" He mumbled to himself, the cigarette bobbing between his lips.

"That is not even almost how that song goes!" Ichigo yelled at Ikkaku. The two had been bickering for most of the practice.

The week had been dragging on slowly. Their show was in a few days, and everyone was on edge. Chad and Shuuhei exchanged a look before going over the set list again. Putting their instruments down, they went over the songs the band decided on.

"I don't see why we can't just do a cover," Ikkaku threw his drum sticks down.

"Because we're not a fucking cover band," Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Do we really have to fight over this again?" Shuuhei bounced on the balls of his feet anxiously.

Chad stayed quiet while the other three spoke. It was often frustrating to Shuuhei how passive Chad was about everything. It was like he didn't have any opinions of his own.

"What do you think, Chad?" Shuuhei handed over the set list and fished his phone out of his pocket.

There were a few missed texts from Akon about the night out he had planned. Only one message from Renji saying he was working late again. He hadn't seen his neighbor since the night of their first date. Shuuhei was beginning to think he really byfucked up his chances.

Looking back up to the other guitarist, he went over what Chad had written down. Reading through the changes, Shuuhei yelled at his other band mates to get their attention.

"So, we moved this song around. And the cover you were bitching about," Shuuhei halfheartedly glared at the drummer. No one said anything at first. Chad shifted on his feet before they all agreed.

"Nice. I like it," Ichigo grinned.

"It's fine, I guess," Ikkaku shrugged. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and glared at the floor.

"Whatever. Just stop bitching about covers," Ichigo swatted at his shoulder playfully.

The two bickered while Shuuhei snuck upstairs. Checking his phone again, Shuuhei watched another message pop up on the screen.

Akon: Your boys name is Renji, right? Red hair, tribal tats?

Shuuhei: Yeah, why?

Shuuhei stared at his phone in confusion as he waited for the reply.

Akon: I think I discovered some of his extracurricular activities.

Shuuhei: WTF does that mean?

Akon: You'll just have to wait to find out. Checking some sorces.

Shuuhei: That sounds fucking ominous.

Akon replied with an inappropriate emoji. Shuuhei tossed his cigarette butt in the ash tray and stuffed his phone in his pocket before making his way back downstairs. Practice ran longer than expected, again. Shuuhei barley caught the last train home. The ride seemed to take longer than he remembered. And it felt like every stop seemed to drag on as he watched people scrambling to get to their destinations.

Gripping the railing above him as the train slammed to a stop again, a couple got on and began aggressively making out behind him. Trying not to show how uncomfortable he was, Shuuhei played with his headphones and turned up the music on his phone.

Finally, it was his stop. Shuuhei pushed his way onto the platform, bumping into the couple on the way.

"Hey, watch where the fuck you're going!" The guy yelled. Shuuhei saw that he had bright blue hair under the beanie he wore. The girl had a red scar that ran across the bridge of her nose and long sea green hair. She glared at her partner before they started arguing. Shuuhei didn't stick around to find out what they were fighting about. Making his way out of the station and on his way home instead.

The old elevator groaned as Shuuhei stepped inside. It slowly carried him to his floor as the brunette searched for his keys. The hallway felt cold, despite early August heat. Gripping the handle of his guitar case, Shuuhei put the weight of his instrument on his hip as he struggled to open his door.

"Hey stranger," Shuuhei nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise.

"Relax! Jesus." Renji laughed. Shuuhei looked around frantically before realizing he wasn't in danger.

"Sorry. Getting mugged has made me…well." Shuuhei allowed the red-head to help him with his things before following him inside.

"Yeah, I've noticed." Renji offered a smile as they set his things down.

Kazeshini pranced to the living room to great them, a toy mouse in his mouth. Dropping it at Renjis feet, the taller man picked it up before making a show of throwing it down the hallway. Shuuhei collapsed onto the couch with a sigh.

"Long day?" Renji asked as he grabbed two beers from the fridge.

"Yeah, practice was rough. Our drummer wants to do all these metal covers. I don't think he knows how much screaming like that fucks up my throat." Shuuhei took the amber bottle before taking a sip.

"Wasn't he in a metal band before?" Renji picked up the mouse Kazeshini brought back before throwing it again. The cat went running.

"Aww, you remembered," the brunette laughed. Renji rolled his eyes before sitting down next to his lover and pulled him to his chest.

"Well, we at least got the set list figured out. We get twenty minutes on stage. So, that's like five songs _if_ Ichigo doesn't talk." Shuuhei laid his head on muscular shoulders as he spoke.

"That's the ginger that works at the coffee shop, right?" Renji kissed his partner's hair as the punk nodded.

"That's the one. Not normally talkative, but he eats up the spotlight on stage. Plus, he gets a lot of fans from the coffee place."

Lucky him." Renji purred as Shuuhei lifted his arms and began playing with his hair. They shared a kiss before deciding that Renjis apartment was too far for him to walk back too.

"It's already late, you should just stay here." Shuuhei yawned, already half asleep in the red-heads arms.

"You're right. And I never got to see your bedroom anyway." Renji left a trail of kisses down the punk's neck before helping him to his room. Shuuhei was asleep before his neighbor had even turned off the light.

That Friday, Akon waited for Shuuhei after work. He seemed to be acting sketchier than usual and it was making the punk even more nervous and suspicious of his friend.

"Hey, took you long enough," The pale man greeted, tossing his cigarette butt in the nearby trash can.

"Sorry, I overslept," Shuuhei explained rubbing at his scarred cheek.

"Whatever. You ready?"

Shuuhei nodded and the two boarded the train.

"So, where are we going?" Shuuhei asked, after they had been on the train for twenty-five minutes.

"Rokubantai." Akon didn't look up from his phone as he spoke, his fingers flying over the buttons on the screen he was texting on.

"What the fuck is that?" the punk laughed.

"You'll see when we get there," Akon rolled his eyes.

After a while, the two found themselves in Roppongi, wandering down some back alleyway. Akon pulled Shuuhei roughly as they turned another corner. The alley opened into a large area, tall buildings blocking all other possible exits. One wall stood out amongst the grungy buildings and run down vending machines. There were flowers graffitied all over it, disguising a dark blue door. Akon knocked on separate sections six times before someone opened a slit at the top.

"What's the word?" a deep and intimidating voice demanded.

"Sanran." Akon sighed in his own bored tone. Whoever it was seemed to like the answer and opened the door.

Once inside, they found themselves in a spacious room. There was a large stage, with wine red theater curtains looping around it. In the center with several different silver poles. Plush red couches framed the stage. A long oak counter formed the L shaped bar along the back wall. The walls had vintage paper over them, displaying old paintings that had withered in time.

"So, a speakeasy. Nice," Shuuhei grinned as he looked around. Following Akon to the bar, he sat in one of the stools.

"Not just a speakeasy," The pale man wagged a boney finger. Shuuhei raised an eyebrow in confusion.

A short, thin woman with a bob haircut glared at them as she cleaned a glass.

"Two old fashions, please," Akon smiled in mocked politeness. The woman huffed but left to fulfill the order.

The heavy curtains around the stage fell away as the lights went out. Shuuhei turned in his seat as he heard singing. It was quickly followed by piano. More curtains slowly rose to reveal a tan woman with purple hair. She was wearing a black Jessica Rabbit style dress and orange opera gloves. The man at the piano had a green and white stripped hat and five o'clock shadow. Shuuhei pulled on Akons arm as they made their way to the stage. The others in the bar seemed to do the same.

The two on stage went through a few more songs before they bowed and the curtains dropped. The lights cut out again before coming back on in harsh strobes as music boomed from speakers above them. Dancers then spilled onto the stage carrying liquor bottles.

"Open wide!" One girl with long lime green hair sang. She was dressed in a white cat suit, along with ears and a tail. Pouring tequila into Shuuheis mouth, she shoved a lemon in before moving on.

"This is amazing!" The punk fell back in his seat after taking another shot.

"And we haven't even gotten to your surprise, yet." Akon grinned after taking a shot out of the well of a man's clavicle.

"I'm not sure I like this anymore." Shuuhei joked and mock glared at his friend as one of the dancers ushered him away from the party.

"You'll be fine," Akon waved and shared a vodka soaked strawberry with one of the dancers.

Before entering the private room, Shuuhei was handed a blindfold.

"Put this on as soon as you sit down," the dancer told him, following him into the room.

Shuuhei barely had a chance to look around before he was shoved in the chair and the blindfold covered his eyes. Shuuhei heard the door close, signaling that the dancer had left. He heard music, and could faintly tell that the lights were changing. Beginning to panic, the punk gripped the arms of the chair before releasing them, only to clench his hands into fists in his lap. There was the sound of heels on hardwood floor as someone made their way to him before being drowned out by the music and his own erratic heartbeat.

He could feel his palms sweating as the dancer straddled his lap and trailed their cool, gloved finger along his neck, starting the second wave of his panic. Whoever it was, was taking their sweet time exploring him with those covered hands. Soon, they dragged their crotch against his own letting Shuuhei know the dancer was male, and he tried not to roll his hips at the contact. He took a sharp breath and bit his lip to keep from moaning. Shuuheis hands were placed on a set of hips as the dancer dipped down to sit on his lap then whispered in his ear.

"Happy birthday, Shuu-Chan." Shuuheis mouth dropped open in shock. He knew that voice.

"Re…Renji?" The punk stuttered out as his blindfold was removed.

The dimly lit room showed Renji with his hair done up in a messy bun. He had on a wireless bra with long tassels, half obscuring his abdomen, as well as a pair of matching hot pants. Shuuhei cleared his throat as he looked him over. Dragging his eyes to those delicious thighs, he saw that Renji wore a garter belt with sheer stockings.

"I didn't think you were one for drag." The punk teased, hands smoothing down the fabric at Renjis waist.

"More so when it's on the other person. But some goth dude told me you are quite the fan." Renji winked as he wrapped his arms around Shuuhei's neck then gave him a small kiss.

"I'll have to thank him later." Shuuhei grinned as Renji removed himself from his lap and dropped to his knees.

Parting Shuuheis legs, Renji slipped between them, teasing kisses up the punk's neck. Their chests brushed together as he stood causing the brunette to groan at the wonderful teasing sensation. Tapping a finger to his chin, Renji stuck out his hip. Shuuhei found himself wanting nothing more than to bite the bone that poked out from the skimpy shorts.

"What to do… what to do…," Renji purred. "What should I do with you, Shuuhei?"

"I've got a few ideas," Shuuhei sighed. The red-head threw his head back dramatically and laughed before pulling away and circling the chair.

The lap dance was standard as far as Renji was concerned. Although, when the two left the room to join the party Shuuhei was a blushing, slightly shaky mess. Akon was still taking body shots off of random dancers. He seemed to have misplaced his shirt and was hanging off a docile woman with long purple hair and Bettie bangs.

"Hello, gentlemen. This is Nemu."

"Hi Nemu." Renji greeted as if he didn't see her every day at work. Shuuhei offered a small wave that she returned.

"I have to get back to work," She stated before grabbing a few liquor bottles and walking off.

"Want me to get you her number?" Renji offered, his wolfish grin taking over his face.

"No need. Already got it," Akon waved him off before handing the two drinks.

The rest of the night was spent in a haze of drinking and partying with the dancers. Shuuhei didn't remember anyone Renji had introduced him to. A few did say they would be at the show the following night. At least, that's what Renji had told him.

Waking up the next afternoon covered in glitter and smelling like a corpse, Shuuhei glared at his bedroom window. Rolling over to shield his eyes from the despicable light of the sun, he notices a mop of red hair.

"Renji, what the fuck? Your hair is in my mouth." Shuuhei batted at his bedmate.

Stirring to life and blinking several times, the redhead looked around in confusion.

"Shuu? Wha…did we fuck last night?" Renjis eyes went wide in panic.

"Does your ass hurt?" Shuuhei rolled his eyes and climbed out of bed. His back popped several times as he stretched.

"Well, aren't you a dick in the morning," Renji wrapped himself in the dark blue comforter.

"Only before coffee. Then I revert to my normal form."

"Noted," groused his neighbor. Kazeshini jumped in the bed and curled up next him.

The two agreed to go out for lunch after showering, neither wanting to go out in public smelling like a brewery and they'd gone to a glitter bomb party. It gave Shuuhei a chance to collect his thoughts and try to remember what happened last night. He was pretty sure Akon went home with that Nemu chick.

"So, are you nervous about tonight?" Renji asked, waving a fry at Shuuhei.

"Well, a little. I always get stage fright before a show. I'm nervous for like the first two songs, it gets a little easier after that," Shuuhei had barely touched his food.

"I'm excited. Can't wait to meet the rest of your band."

"I think you and my drummer will get along. Chad's a bit quiet though. He barely has a personality," Shuuhei played with his straw paper.

"Nah, it'll be fine," Renji waved him off. The two parted ways after that. Renji had a tattoo session, while Shuuhei wanted to have a final band meeting before the show.

That night, Shuuhei paced back stage. Looking out to the sea of people made his heart race and his throat dry.

"Relax. We've been over this," Ichigo offered a bottle of water.

"Hey, look, Hisagi! Your other boyfriend is here!" Ikkaku pointed out.

"Not helping!" Ichigo shooed him away.

Out in the crowd, Kensei and Rose lingered by the bar. Akon had wandered off somewhere. The place was packed with people, but the silver haired man glared as soon as he saw Renji.

"God damnit." Kensei grumbled and took a sip of his beer.

"At least he's at the bar and away from you," Rose offered. Kensei just shrugged.

Shuuhei timidly walked on stage and put his guitar over his shoulder. The rest of the band seemed less nervous as they did the same. Ikkaku twirled his drumsticks immanently as he waited to be announced. Stepping closer to the microphone, Shuuhei greeted the audience.

"Hello, and welcome to The Shoten. We are Life Model Decoy!" The crowd cheered as Ikkaku gave a drum roll before transitioning into their first song.

Kensei grinned as he watched the crowd sway to the upbeat punk music. Rose shook his head back and forth, his long hair waving around. Glaring back at the bar, Kensei noticed Renji was talking to a pale blond. He remembered the kid from the parlor. Izuru? His attention was drawn away when the song ended.

"He looks so hot with a guitar," he could hear Renji say. The way he talked about Shuuhei made Kensei grit his teeth.

"He's not wrong, you know," Rose added playfully.

"Whatever. The next song is coming up." Kensei nodded at the stage and took a long sip of his beer.

The next couple of songs were fast paced, causing a small mosh pit that the bartenders tried to contain. Mashiro somehow ended up in the middle, climbed on stage, shouted into the microphone before diving back into the crowd.

"So, Mashrio might be a little drunk," an out of breath Shinji informed.

"For fucks sake," Kensei groaned before going back to the bar for another drink.

"Crown and coke!" He shouted at the bartender before turning around. Kensei couldn't help but watch as Shuuhei stood in front of the mic. There was a small break down before everyone stopped playing, the only sound being Shuuheis voice. A few girls around the room were swooning as they sang along. After the song ended there was an explosion of applause and whistles.

"Thank you all so much! We have one last song for you tonight, and it's a new one. I hope you're ready! It's called Can't Fear Your Own World!" Ichigo yelled into the microphone. The crowd cheered again as the band began playing.

Kensei was swelling with pride as he watched them finish their set. The lights came back on and everyone went back to drinking.

"I'm telling you man, he gets turned on _so_ easy. He almost busted a nut last night when I was giving him a lap dance." Kensei could feel the vein in his forehead bulging out as he heard those words. Turning around to glare at the red head, Renji just smiled at him before continuing his conversation with Izuru.

"Just ignore him, Kensei. Let him have his fun." Rose offered between sips of bourbon.

"He's such a shit," Shinji agreed. The three men stood there as Renji gave more detail about what he and Shuuhei did the other night.

"I need another drink," Kensei gripped his glass and stalked to the bar.

Seeing that Kensei was in ear shot, Renji raised his voice as he spoke.

"I bet I could have made him cum twice if his creeper boss wasn't there." Izuru just shook his head as Renji gave more unprompted explanations.

There was a loud gasp as Izuru vanished from of his seat. Kensei had grabbed Renji by his shirt and pulled him to his feet. The two glared at one another before Renji pushed Kensei off. Looking on in shock, Rose and Shinji barely noticed the pale boy hiding near them. The three watched as Renji made a show of smoothing out his shirt.

"What's wrong old man? You pissed cuz I moved in on your boy? Aren't you a little _old_ for him?" the redhead taunted.

Kensei didn't bother saying anything. Instead, he closed the gap between them and punched the artist in the jaw. Wiping the blood from his lip, Renji smirked, teeth stained red.

"That's how were doing things? Well, at least you got a good view of him, right?" Renji swung, hitting Kensei in the stomach.

The two traded punches while a small crowd formed around them. Everyone seemed to be ignoring the bartender's plea to take the fight outside. Mashiro made her way to the front and began shouting at the two to stop. Both men were bleeding now, Kensei getting a gash in his forehead after wrestling the redhead to the floor. No one noticed that the band had finished packing up and was making their way to the scene.

"What the fuck is happening here?" Ikkaku pushed through the crowd, the rest of the band following behind.

"What the fuck…" Shuuhei went pale as he looked at the two bloodied men.

"Just cuz you can't get it up without a hand full of pills doesn't mean you get to fuck up my chances at some ass!" Renji mumbled between punches.

As soon as they saw Shuuhei, the two separated. Kensei spit blood on the floor before walking out of the bar. Renji refused to look at him as he tried to explain. Stuttering for an explanation before Shuuhei cut him off.

"Just a piece of ass, huh?" Shuuhei glared before shoving passed Renji and out of the bar.

Once outside, he saw his coworkers trying to understand what happened. Kensei was crouched in a nearby alley, but refused to talk. Mashiro pouted about how she missed most of the fight. Shinji and Rose didn't want to speak for their friend, so they remained silent. Everyone stiffened when they saw Shuuhei.

"What the fuck happened in there?" Shuuhei tried to stay calm. But he couldn't comprehend why his lover and boss were beating the shit out of each other.

"He just kept pushing me." Kenseis hands were bloody and shaking.

"So, you fight him?" Shuuhei shouted back. Everyone flinched at the normally soft spoken man.

"You don't know what he said! He was telling that creepy kid all the shit you two do together. I'm surprised he didn't tell him what your dick tasted like!" Kensei stood suddenly.

"What the fuck does that have to do with you? We're not together!" The punk was frantic at this point.

"Why not?" Kensei shouted back before he realized what he was saying.

"I can't deal with this shit right now." Shuuhei threw up his hands and walked away from the group.


	6. Overheated

I'm so sorry this chapter took forever! I had ridiculous writer's block and then I got sick, and then I had a shit ton of dental work done. Here's to hoping next chapter will be on schedule. Chapter Text

The next few days were awkward. Kensei came to work with a gauze patch on his forehead. Neither he nor Shuuhei would look at one another. The younger man hid in his office most of the time, only leaving when necessary. Everyone could tell something bad happened; since it was unlike Shuuhei to go this long without talking to his senpai.  
"I still can't believe you beat up his boyfriend! So much for keeping your little crush a secret." Shinji tried to joke, earning a harsh glare from the muscular man.  
"That asshole had it coming if you ask me. The way he was being so lewd about our boy was just disgusting. Although, it was pretty cool how you head butted him." Rose chimed in. Kensei turned his glare on the flamboyant man before giving a low chuckle.  
"It did feel pretty good to clock him," Kensei chewed on the inside of his cheek as he thought about those stupid words he blurted out before Shuuhei walked away.  
"What do you think this office meeting is going to be about?" Shinji spoke, trying to change the subject.  
"Probably more work," Rose huffed, packing up his things and leaving the break room.  
"I bet one of us is going to get a super cool assignment." Shinji's grin spread across his face. Kensei repressed the urge to tell him he looked like a horse.  
Later that day, all the editors were gathered in the conference room as their boss went over the new assignments. Shuuhei tried to walk in unnoticed behind Akon. Unfortunately, they were the last ones to enter, the door decided to close behind them loudly. The paler man sniggering as his friend jumped out of his skin. Hearing the commotion, everyone turned towards the door. Kensei held his gaze longer than Shuuhei was comfortable with.  
"Is that everyone?" The room turned their attention to the only man standing. Shunsui Kyoraku was relatively laid back for a boss. He was causal as he handed out new assignments to everyone. Every so often, saying off the wall things as he called out to his employees.  
"Mr. Kyoraku, I have the same assignment as Hinatero." One of the meeker employees called out.  
"Yes, those of you who have duplicates will be working with a partner. Let me find my list and…" Shunsui began patting down his body before grabbing the paper in front of him and reading off the list of names.  
"There has to be a smarter way to do this," Shuuhei mumbled as he listened for his name.  
"And Hisagi, you and Muguruma will be together. That won't be a problem, I trust?" Shunsui looked at the two knowingly.  
"N-no, sir! Not at all." Shuuhei could hear himself stutter out. Kensei just nodded in agreement.  
"Perfect. Now, I want these done by the end of the month. Dismissed." Everyone made their way back to their cubicles to review their new workload.  
Sliding into his seat, Shuuhei opened the binder. He was reading over the information he would need when someone walked into his field of vision. He thought about ignoring him and finishing the draft he had been working on all morning. But once Kensei cleared his throat, Shuuhei knew he had no choice but to interact with him. Taking his time to meet the older man's gaze, Shuuhei immediately regretted his decision.  
Kensei stood with his arms crossed. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up, revealing his toned arms, a dark bruise from his fight blooming on one of them. The fabric of his button up shirt strained over his muscular chest. The bandages from that morning were gone. The gash on his forehead was mostly scabbed over. Shuuhei tried to seem uninterested as he looked at him.  
"Looks like we're going to Akihabara," Kensei stated. He then walked into the office and leaned on his underlings' desk.  
"Seems that way," Shuuhei replied casually while he went back to typing. Stealing glances every now and again as Kensei looked through the small bookshelf along the wall.  
"So many comics," the silver-haired man muttered to himself.  
"Is there something you need? Cuz, I have this review that needs to be finished and…"  
"I'm sorry about the other night." Kensei blurted out before he could stop himself.  
Both men stared at one another as their faces grew red. Shuuhei was sure he looked like a fish with the way he opened his mouth before closing it again. Kensei rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. This was out of character for him. Normally, he didn't feel ashamed of things he did. Sure, he was prone to anger and could be off-putting and grumpy. But this was a whole new side he was showing, Shuuhei wasn't  
sure how he felt about it yet.  
"I shouldn't have fought your- boy- I mean- ah- Renji. I really fucked up your bands'…. thing." Kensei fumbled through his apology as he looked at the ground, his work shoes looking very interesting at that moment.  
There was an awkward silence as Shuuhei thought over how to react. He wanted to smack Kensei for acting like an idiot. But there was also a part of him that thought what he did was kind of sweet. Kensei didn't know this, but Shinji pulled Shuuhei aside earlier in the morning to talk to him. He explained everything that happened leading up to the fight. At that point, Shuuhei decides to blow off Renji as well. He was going to ignore every phone call and every text. Kensei had no idea that he was already forgiven. But that wasn't going to stop Shuuhei from letting his crush blabber on like an idiot.  
"Are you finished?" The younger man asked in mocked annoyance.  
Kensei nodded with a raised eyebrow, his mood growing even sourer by the second. Shuuhei couldn't help the grin that betrayed his features. He ended up explaining that he already knew what happened that night.  
"I'm going to kill Shinji," Kensei growled, veins from his neck starting to pop out.  
"Okay…" Shuuhei whispered before turning away.  
Feeling as though the ice had been broken Shuuhei felt he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. With all of their personal drama out of the way, they could finally get to their job done. The rest of the workday went slowly as Shuuhei and Kensei went over their interview plan.  
"So… the guy's name is Love?" Kensei tossed the folder to the side and leaned back in his chair.  
"Yup, he does mostly online comics. I'm excited to see what he will do with this new one-shot." Shuuhei tried to seem casual as he talked about the manga artist.  
"So, I guess you're a fan?" Kensei teased, lips quirking upward as Shuuhei fidgeted.  
"I, uh… Yeah." Shuuhei turned back to his computer, cutting the conversation off before Kensei could tease him further.  
Even though Kensei's teasing had more flirtatious overtone, Shuuheis awkward behavior made it easier for the pair to get back to normal, even though in reality Shuuhei was more anxious. Compliments on his work ethic and how organized his workstation was left him flustered and unsure of how to respond, and in the end the awkward "Um, you… too?" made both of them wince. At the end of the day, Shuuhei welcomed Kensei's offer to take him home. He had learned not to fight it after the first time.  
"So, when is your next show?" The conversation felt clunky and forced as Kensei squinted at the stoplight.  
"Well, I don't think we'll be able to play at that bar for a while," Shuuhei flinched at his own statement and thought of something to redeem the conversation.  
"But, we're working on an EP, and there's a new venue opening up soon. I think a change of scenery will help us. A new crowd and…" Shuuhei trailed off his rambling when Kensei laughed.  
"Stop trying to cover for me, Shuu. I kicked your boys' ass. I'm sorry." Kensei moved his car to park by the apartment building.  
"You think he's mad at me?" The words were out of his mouth before Shuuhei could second guess himself.  
"What do you mean? Wouldn't he tell you?" Kensei looked at the other man, confused.  
"We haven't exactly talked since then. Well, I haven't talked to him anyway."  
"Oh…" Kensei looked out his car window at nothing.  
"It's his own fault. He shouldn't have said those things," Shuuhei decided. Kensei couldn't help but feel glad that that redhead was almost out of the picture.  
"So, what are you going to do? I mean, the dude lives next door," Kensei asked, still looking out the window.  
"You think I can move to Shibuya and change my name?" Kensei was looking at him now. The way that lip ring would fall lopsided made Kensei realize he was staring at Shuuheis lips again.  
"I think you should just rip off that band-aid." Kensei leaned closer to the other seat.  
Shuuhei looked at him in surprise. Eyes widening as Kensei moved closer again. Remembering the last time this happened, Shuuhei lowered his expectations. Thinking he was adjusting his seatbelt or something else casual and practical. When Kensei continued to move closer to him, Shuuheis eyes widened for a different reason. His heart began to race and he could feel his body heating up.  
"Ken…sei?" he mumbled out, making the older man smirked.  
Dragging his thumb over the pierced lip, Kensei could feel the nervous heat radiating off that lean body. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he closed the gap between their lips. The shock of the situation didn't allow Shuuhei to react right away. Stiffening at the contact before his synapses fired and his brain rebooted. Leaning into the kiss, Shuuhei let himself relax. Kensei's' lips were softer than he thought they would be. He was also a lot gentler, which gave the anxious man time to burn this moment into his brain.  
The way Kensei cupped his scared cheek to deepen the kiss had Shuuhei feeling like he was going numb. Like nervousness had finally taken over and all the blood had left his body. He didn't want it to end. Running his fingers through black hair, Kensei yanked lightly. Shuuhei yelped in surprise only to have Kensei pull away and nip at his now exposed neck.  
"Oh, fuck…" Shuuhei trailed off as his Adam's apple was licked.  
Trying his best not to make too much noise, Shuuhei wrapped his arms around Kensei's neck. This had to be a dream. Shuuhei knew he was going to wake up in his shitty apartment with a hard-on. There was no way this was real. Another nip at his neck had him moaning embarrassingly loud as Kensei finally pulled away. His hair was a mess and his lips were swollen. Shuuhei was positive there were bite marks all over his neck and clavicle. They were both panting, the car windows fogging as they parted. Shuuhei was still clinging to Kensei as they stared at each other.  
They didn't say anything for a long while. Slowly, Shuuhei pulled away. Cheeks flaming, he mumbled out a goodbye his arm was grabbed and Kensei pulled him in for another kiss.  
"I'll see you tomorrow, brat." Kensei pecked his lips again before regrettably letting go.  
Blushing his way to his apartment, Schultheis' high was ruined as he saw Renji sitting outside his door.  
"Hey." The redhead said, trying to seem casual. He already knew he failed. All the color drained from his face as Shuuhei glared at him.  
"No." Was all the punk said before opening and slamming his door in his neighbor's face.  
"Come on, Shuu. Please let me explain. I was drunk, I'm sorry!" Renji called from the hall.  
On the other side of the door, Shuuhei had his head in his hands and was slowly sliding to the floor. This was too much for him all at once. Kazeshini pranced over to him and pawed at his shoes before making himself comfortable by his side, gently purring in comfort.  
He could hear Renji grumble as he stomped away and slammed his door. Flinching at the harsh sound, Shuuhei sat on the floor for a few minutes before he decided to get up. Little Kazeshini followed him from room to room as he went about domestic tasks. Shuuhei ended up fighting with the cat to let go of one of his guitar picks as he was collecting them from behind the couch. The punk had then decided to tend to his plants. While he was watering the ones in the bedroom he heard movement outside the window.  
"What the fuck!" Shuuhei yelped when he looked up, surprised to see a person rather than a bird on the other side. He raced over to see what was going on, he discovered someone on his fire escape. They had one leg dangling off the landing while gripping tight to the rail for support, red hair bouncing around from his awkward movements.  
"Renji, what are you doing out here!" Shuuhei opened the window and helped his neighbor inside.  
"I was, uh…" The tattoo artist trailed off, not able to come up with an excuse. Shuuhei crossed his arms as he waited.  
"I wanted to apologize for how I acted at the bar the other night. I don't know why I acted like such an ass." Renji explained, wringing his hands and looking at the floor.  
"And breaking into my apartment was the way to do that?" Shuuhei knitted his eyebrows together.  
"That was the only way I could get you to talk to me! You've been blowing me off all damn week!" The redhead defended.  
Rather than retorting, Shuuhei sprayed Renji with the bottle he used for his plants. This caused his neighbor to flinch, sputter, and try to duck from the spray, but at point-blank range that was impossible. He even backed away a step or two, only to come up against the wall, while being showered.  
"You were being stupid, and I'm mad at you for it. You acted like a jerk to my work friends and made my boss feel like shit." Shuuhei sprayed him again.  
"Fuck, okay! Damn!" Renji put up his hands to shield himself from the incoming water.  
Shuuhei smirks to himself before squirting Renji again. The redhead leaps forward, arms out as he tries to grab the bottle. Missing several times, the tattoo artist decides he's had enough and chased the guitarist around the room. They're both laughing and taunting each other as Shuuhei turns around to spray his neighbor again. Not realizing the bed was so close, the brunet trips. Arms flailing, he ends up pulling Renji down onto the mattress with him. Eyes wide, neither of them took a breath as they stared at each other.  
Renji was the first to recover; he decides to lean in first, arms bent at the elbows on either side of his tormentor. His knee was between the other man's legs, and he realized for the first time that his punk was still in his work clothes. The black tie he wore every day was loosened, exposing the ivory skin of Shuuhei's neck. Remembering how the man below him would whimper when certain areas of his neck was a bit made Renji inch closer.  
Shuuhei was clinging to Renji's shirt sleeve, gripping the cotton fabric like he would fall if he let go. He didn't allow himself to breathe, shock still painting his face as he tried to process what just happened. It was like one of those cheesy romance movies that no one really enjoyed. How could this be real life? His eyes fluttered shut before he knew what he was doing, arching his body up to meet Renji's lips.  
"Hope we don't get interrupted by your pervy boss this time." Renji joked, grinding his hips into Shuuhei.  
The brunette recoiled instantly, pushing Renji away from him. He didn't stop pushing until they were both off the bed and standing. All the color had left Shuuheis face as he glared at the redhead. Renji just stared back in confusion, eventually, it sunk in.  
"Shuu… I didn't mean it like that. I was just-" Renji tried to defend.  
"Out." Shuuhei cut him off.  
"Come on, I was only joking," his neighbor tried again.  
"No, I already told you. You fucked up. Bye." The older of the two then began shoving again.  
Shoving Renji out the window, back onto the fire escape seemed like a good idea at the time. It was rather awkward watching his neighbor try to navigate back to his own apartment in a sort of crab walk. There was the sound of breaking pots as some of the outside plants were pushed out of the muscular man's way. Shuuhei guessed the phrase about 'a bull in a china shop' was true after all. Staring out the window for several minutes after Renji left, Shuuhie pulled his phone from his pants pocket and called Akon.  
"I need a drink. You would not believe the night I've had."  
"Neet, I'll meet you at our usual spot in like an hour." Akon seemed more casual than Shuuhei remembered but thought nothing of it.  
Quickly changing out of his work suit and into something more comfortable, Shuuhei gave himself a self-loathing glare into the mirror. Those three scars standing out on his otherwise handsome face made him feel weak. Like what he did the night he was mugged almost made him think he deserved it.  
"I didn't even fight back." Shuuhei thought to himself. His phone vibrating pulled him away from his thoughts and Shuuhei left to meet Akon.  
00000  
Waking up to a pounding headache was not how Shuuhei wanted to start his day. But, here he was, laying in bed and glaring at his phone as the annoying alarm screamed at him. After failing several times to turn it off, Shuuhei pulled himself to his feet and dragged his hung-over body to the bathroom for a shower.  
When he finally got to work Kensei was waiting for him in his office. Shuuhei fidgeted as he made his way over and tried not to think about last night. He found himself staring at his hands as he twirled a pen between his fingers, a nervous habit he had yet to break from.  
"Love agreed to meet with us this weekend at his store. Make sure you don't have any plans. I'm going to see what the company is willing to provide as far as lodging and transportation is involved." The older man informed.  
That weekend Shuuhei was lugging his suitcase into Kensei's car and they were on the road. It was awkward at first, neither of them really knowing what to say to pass the time. The radio was humming in the background as the younger man wracked his brain for something to talk about. Something to distract himself from what happened the last time he was in this car.  
"So…, what is the hotel going to be like?" He could have slapped himself for that blunder.  
"Nothing fancy. We do have a private onsen on our balcony, so we won't have to worry about the 'no tattoo' policy." Kensei seemed just as nervous but was better at hiding it than his partner.  
"Oh, cool," after that, there was more silence as Shuuhei fidgeted with his hands and looked out the window. "Wait…, I didn't know you had a tattoo," Shuhei whipped his head back around, surprised.  
Kensei didn't look back, but Shuuhie could tell that he was smirking.  
"Maybe you'll see it this weekend," the suggestiveness in Kensei's tone and glance along with the implications had his kohai's face turning cherry red.  
They soon made it onto the highway and Shuuhei watched as they made their way deeper into Tokyo. There were large posters of poorly drawn anime girls advertising pachinko parlors and arcades. Getting off the highway was nerve-wracking as Kensei tried to navigate through the narrow, busy streets. Kensei tried not to let his frustration show, knowing it made Shuuhei nervous when people yelled.  
After what felt like forever, they pulled into the hotel parking lot and were checking into their room. Shuuhei couldn't wait to be able to drop his things off and explore. It wasn't often that he got to go to Akihabara, and he was excited to wander around. He watched as Kensei waved the card on their door and opened the room only to find one bed.  
"What the fuck?" Kensei yelled. Shuuhei jumped and looked around frantically.  
"Maybe they gave us the wrong room?" He offered, trying to calm down his partner. Kensei's face was already turning red with rage and embarrassment.  
"I'll be right back. Stay here." Kensei shoved passed him and went back to the lobby.  
Fidgeting with his hands again, Shuuhei tried not to think about Kensei shouting at the woman at the desk. He didn't want to get kicked out for making a scene. After a few minutes, the muscular man came back, defeated and still looking slightly embarrassed.  
"I guess Shunsui's lackey forgot you were coming with me so they only had one bed booked," Kensei mumbled and was rubbing his neck, blushing. Shuuhei couldn't help but think he looked cute.  
"So, do I need to get another room?" The punk was thinking about how much he had in his bank account before Kensei interrupted his thoughts.  
"They don't have any other rooms open. It's only one night, I'm sure we can make it work." Kensei grabbed his own bag and began unpacking. Shuuhei tried to do the same with the small amount of space they had to work with. When he was done, the younger of the two began to look around. Getting excited all over again at how cool their room looked.  
"At least the bathroom is a decent size," Shuuhei said, exploring the small hotel room.  
"God, you're like a cat in a new house," Kensei chuckled before he called the front desk for an extra set of toiletries and pillows as he watched his partner look around. A knock on the door showed a meek woman who handed Kensei his requested belongings before leaving abruptly.  
"She must have heard you yelling downstairs," Shuuhei poked his head into the hallway.  
"I didn't yell!" Kensei roared in defense.  
"Sure," Shuuhei repressed a laugh.  
"Whatever. Let's go get something to eat." Kensei grabbed his coat and walked out of their room.  
The two left and walked down the busy streets of Akihabara. All around them there were shops that sold anime figures and electronics. Kensei was looking for the comic book store Love ran as Shuuhei pointed out a vintage electronics shops. After wandering around and some light shopping, they found a decent restaurant.  
"Damn, you act like you never come here." Kensei teased as the two were seated.  
"I just get excited is all," Shuuhei ducked his head down and blushed.  
"Such an otaku." Just then the waitress came over and greeted them.  
"I'll just have water for now," Kensei said dismissively.  
"The same for your date?" She asked before clapping a hand over her mouth. After apologizing a thousand times she all but ran to the back room, Shuuhei stared in surprise.  
"I guess we make a cute couple." Kensei looked confused but quickly shook it off as a different waitress came and took their order.  
Most of the shops were closed by the time the pair made their way back to the hotel. Shuuhei tried not to think about the sleeping arrangement and instead fantasized about their private onsen. It was starting to get colder and the wind blew harshly, whipping the young man's scarf around. Kensei turned around abruptly and fixed the scarf so that it was tucked inside his leather jacket.  
"It kept hitting me," he shrugged his shoulders as they walked down the almost empty streets.  
When the two walked into the lobby, the woman at the desk went red and put her head down. Shuuhei wondered how bad Kensei had yelled at her. When he made eye contact with the older man he smirked and pressed the button to the elevator. Shuuhei couldn't help but think it was a little cruel.  
"Our interview isn't until ten, so you can sleep in a little." Kensei stretched his arms out as they walked into their room.  
"Oh, great," Shuuhei hummed back as he toed off his shoes and removed his jacket.  
"You better not be a bed hog, or you're sleeping on the floor," Kensei warned as he began preparing for bed.  
"I...don't think I am." Shuuhei couldn't remember the last time he slept in the same bed as someone else. Then he remembered Renji, and how they fell asleep while cuddling a few nights ago. This made him feel guilty and like he was cheating on the redhead in some bizarre way.  
"You weren't even dating." He tried to defend himself. Before he could think any more on it Kensei asked him to read over the interview questions. After looking through the file for their interview, Shuuhei reworded some of the questions. He was vaguely aware of Kensei moving around the room and saying he was going to take a shower. He just nodded as he read through the work.  
Remembering that there was a place to rinse off by the onsen, Shuuhei undressed, grabbed the things he would need, and headed for the balcony. The air was colder now that he didn't have any clothes on. Shuuhei felt a little self-conscious as he looked around. To his right, there was a bamboo stool, as well as a bucket and ladle for rinsing off. There was also a detachable shower head and bottles of shampoos and soaps. Balancing on the tiny stool took some effort, but Shuuhie thought he did a decent job.  
Once he was in the bath, he was able to look out at the balcony. There was a small courtyard with a koi pond that he was just able to see over the tall shrubbery. It made it seem like they weren't deep in Tokyo, waiting to talk to a manga artist. The private onsen was exactly what Shuuhie needed to clear his head.  
As he was gazing out at the scenery, the towel forgotten by the bathing area, Shuuhei let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes and relaxed into the hot water. The peace was soon short-lived, as he didn't notice Kensei until he was standing in front of him. Shuuhei looked on wide-eyed before putting his head down to try and hide. He could feel his face heat up with embarrassment and arousal.  
"Don't think I didn't see that," his boss admonished.  
Shuuhei swallowed hard and dunked most of his head in the water, bubbles surfacing near his high -now even redder- cheekbones. While he attempted to collect himself, he paid attention to Kensei finishing up and his heavy footfalls coming towards the heated bath. The two men looked at each other, the younger raising his face from the water.  
Shuuhei looked towards the large feet by the pool, up strong muscled calves and thighs that he often fantasized about. Kensei wasn't wearing a towel and not bothering to hide his arousal, the punk swallowed when he saw it throb. His eyes climbed up higher, he knew Kensei was built, but seeing it all without a shirt in the way; he felt himself becoming aroused once again. The muscles moved and flexed as his senpai worked his way into the tub, the water rippled while Shuuheis heart started beating erratically.  
He watched as the water submerged most of the older man's body. Leaving his broad shoulders and well-defined pecs in normal view, showing the tattoo that had been mentioned earlier, a traditional style dagger in bold black ink. Even if his boss's body was mostly submerged, it wasn't really hidden. When he looked up past the column that was Kensei's neck, strong and stubborn jaw, he saw lips that were trying not to twitch.  
"What are you staring at, Hisagi?" Kensei propped his arms up on the lip of the tub.  
"J...just enjoying the view," came the squeaked reply. Shuuhei knew if he continued staring things would get a lot more embarrassing.  
Kensei raised a brow and his smirk grew, while Shuuhei bit his lip to keep from saying something stupid. As he reached for the pile of extra towels, Shuuheis arm was grabbed. He looked at Kensei who had that wolfish grin on his face and felt his heart skip a beat. Gently, he allowed himself to be pulled towards where Kensei was seated, guided down into the hot water.  
"Is that so?" Shuuhei watched his lips move, and was so distracted he almost didn't hear him.  
The punk could feel his body betraying him as his eyes followed a bead of water as it traveled down Kensei's neck and disappear into the bath. He tried to ignore the urge to pounce the man and sink into his lap as he looked him over again. Shuuhei settled for adjusting his legs to try and will his erection away.  
"I think you're doing more than just enjoying the view." Kensei pulled him closer with one hand, the words ghosting over his neck as he left a trail of kisses on the wet skin. His other hands sank into the water and began palming at the flesh of Shuuheis thigh. The brunette gasped in surprise.  
"Fu-...Kensei." Shuuhie choked out as calloused hands wrapped around his cock and stroked him to full hardness.  
"Hmm?" Kensei teased as he pulled his partner closer, having him seated on his lap.  
Shuuhei braced one hand on the wall in front of him as he straddled Kensei. He could feel him getting hard too as they rocked their hips together. The sound of sloshing water and short gasps filled the balcony as Kensei stroked them along.  
"God, Shuuhie, you got me hard so fast. Can you feel it?" Kensei trailed a wet hand down Shuuhei's spine, traveling down his back before grabbing at his ass.  
"Oh, fuck...Kensei." Shuuhei whimpered again and let his head fall back; melting into the older man's touch.  
"That's it, Shuu. Just let go." Kensei cajoled as he teased his finger over the punk's entrance, gently pressing the pad of his index finger into it. Shuuhei yelped, fisting a hand into silver hair. He tried not to pull it roughly, but the way that finger was sinking slowly into him had him going insane, tugging on the hair in his grasp.  
"You okay? Do you want me to take it out?" Kensei stilled himself, not wanting to hurt his partner.  
"Give me a second." Shuuhie took a few deep breaths to relax. Neither of them moved as they waited for Shuuhei to adjust to the intrusion. Eventually, Kensei's stroking hand started up again, taking his time as his fist traveled up his kohai's length before picking up the pace. He could feel his partner's body relax and started moving his finger slowly in and out as well. Before long, Shuuhie was writhing, legs shaking as he thrust his hips uselessly into Kenseies.  
"That's it, baby. You're doing so well," Kensei praised as a second finger was preparing to join the first. "Let me know if you want me to stop."  
"Ho-hold on," Shuuhie said suddenly. Kensei stopped his movements once again. Fingers slowly leaving the lean body, giving it time to adjust.  
Shuuhei took a while to regain his composure, taking deep breaths again and shaking his head. Kensei watched him as he tried to relax. He couldn't stop thinking how beautiful he was. How he wanted to trace the ink that covered the lithe body.  
"If you keep doing this I'm gonna cum. And I don't want to do that in the onsen." The brunette admitted, face flaming from both the hot water and bashfulness.  
"Time for bed," Kensei said suddenly, pulling the younger man to his feet.  
Barely having time to dry off, Shuuhei was pushed onto the bed. Kensei wasted no time as he left a trail of kisses on his thigh. Palming at his own cock as he left a love bite on the inner thigh, he trailed his hands up Shuuheis body. Fingertips ghosting over inked flesh, touching everywhere but where Shuuhei desperately wanted.  
"Kensei, please," Shuuhei begged, becoming desperate.  
Taking the hint, Kensei threw creamy thighs over his shoulder and dragged his tongue over Shuuheis entrance. Shuuhei arched his back and cried out as his cock was stroked as well. A hand covered his mouth to muffle a moan as Shuuheis entrance was attacked with a skilled mouth. Kensei would have grinned to himself if he could. He had a feeling Shuuhei was a noisy lover, and he planned on dragging out all sorts of cute sounds from his kouhai tonight. Swatting his hands away, Kensei stated as much to his partner.  
Kensei's name was chanted several times as Shuuhei grew closer to his orgasm. Not wanting this moment to end, he squeezed the base of his cock, prolonging the moment. Noticing this, Kensei pulled his mouth away. Grinning up at the younger man, he gave a long lick up the base of Shuuhei's cock before taking him into his mouth just to tease the punk more.  
"Kensei, please," Shuuhei begged again.  
"Please, what?" Kensei removed his mouth and kissed his way up to his mark on his partner's neck, allowing himself to trace the lines of a tattoo on Shuuhies hip.  
"Fuck me," the punk said bluntly, rolling his hips into his partner.  
Kensei stopped, wide-eyed. He hadn't expected that. He wasn't even sure they would be able too. There was no way Shuuhie could take him without plenty of lube.  
"Are...are you sure you want that?" Kensei blushed through the question as he tried not to imagine what it would feel like to finally be inside of his kohai.  
"Yes, I want you to fuck me." Shuuhie continued rubbing his cock against Kensei's.  
"Fuck, you're hard." Kensei was slowly losing the argument in his head as he wedged a hand between them and began burrowing a finger into Shuuhei once more. It sank in easier than before and Shuuhie hissed but rolled his hips anyway.  
"All for you," Shuuhie spread his legs to allow easier access as another finger was pushed into him.  
"You're so fucking sexy, Shuu." Kensei marveled as he pinched a pierced nipple. The brunette moaned at the touch.  
"And you make the cutest noises. I'm gonna put another finger in. Are you ready?" Kensei asked, waiting for consent.  
Shuuhei nodded and a third finger entered his body. Kensei waited longer than Shuuhei felt was necessary before slowly thrusting in and out of him.  
"Such a shame I didn't bring lube." Kensei thought out loud.  
"I did," Shuuhei sighed.  
"You...you did?" Kensei stilled his movements.  
Shuuhei nodded, "when we stopped at Don Quijote earlier."  
Kensei removed his fingers and began rummaging through shopping bags until he found a pale green bottle.  
"Cool mint flavored? You kinky little shit." Kensei opened the bottle and poured a small amount on his fingers before coating them.  
Shuuhei watched transfixed as his legs were lifted and Kensei slid his lubed fingers inside. The familiar sting of being stretched washed over him as a fourth finger was added.  
"Faster," Shuuhei begged as he rocked his hips in time with Kensei's hand.  
"If I go any faster, then you'll cum." Kensei kissed at Shuuheis chest before teasing his nipples again. Another low groan left the brunet.  
Hooking his legs around Kensei's waist, Shuuhei rolled them over. He straddled the older man's lap and began grinding against his cock. Kensei seemed hypnotized as he watched the tattooed man tease himself. He was painfully hard already, but when his partner grabbed his cock and began lightly bouncing on the tip, he thought he was going to lose his mind. Hovering over Kensei, Shuuhei grabbed the forgotten bottle and squeezed a large glob into his hand before slicking it up his senpai's cock. It was cold against his sensitive skin and smelled like artificial flavor, but his head lolled back into the pillow when Shuuhei began making comments about his size.  
"I don't think you're going to fit." The sassy punk said in mock worry.  
"Don't worry," the silver-haired man said as he watched Shuuhei's body stretch around the tip. "I think I'll fit just fine."  
"Aaaahhh," the punk moaned as his body slowly started accepting the large cock, very snuggly into him. He felt kisses being peppered along his neck and collarbone as Kensei cautiously sat up to embrace him.  
"Relax. You're doing just fine." Kensei huffed into his ear, trying not to rock his hips too much as he inched himself slowly into the man above him.  
Shuuhei could feel himself sweating as he tried not to think about how much pain he was in. It really had been a long time since he had sex. And even though they prepped him, he felt like it still wasn't enough.  
"You feel so good. I don't know how long I can keep this up," Kensei grunted out. Beads of sweat were traveling down his forehead.  
Shuuhei couldn't bring himself to respond. He couldn't think about anything other than the burning feeling deep inside his body. He was breathing heavy and choking back sobs as Kensei continued to push into him.  
"Kensei, please...stop." Shuuhei finally managed to get out.  
Kensei stopped instantly and prepared to pull out, gripping boney hips and beginning to lift Shuuhei off of him. Hands gripping his wrist stopped him however and for the first time, he looked at his kouhai.  
A blush that started at his cheeks made its way to his ears and down his neck. His hair was sticking up in places, parts of it matted to his face. Tattooed arms braced themselves on Kensei's chest as he hovered over him; he waited with baited breath for his partner to give him more information.  
"I just need time to adjust." Kensei breathed a sigh of relief while the brunet regained his composure. Neither of them moved for what felt like forever.  
Slowly, Shuuhei took Kensei's cock deeper inside of him. It was almost painfully slow to feel himself be swallowed into that tight hole. He bit his knuckles as his eyes darted to Shuuhei's face again. He didn't seem to be in pain anymore, the light movement of his hips as he ground down on Kensei's length was an indication of that. Soft little pants were filling the room as Shuuhei finally took him to the hilt.  
"Oh fuck," Shuuhei mumbled as he stopped moving once more. Kensei still had his hands on his hips and was smoothing them up to his ribcage.  
"Relax, Shuu," he hissed. His hands slowly moved their way down, caressing the lightly tanned skin, over muscles, almost massaging them as his hands came closer to his partner's cock.  
"Do you have any idea how hot you are right now? How much I want to just fuck you until you can't even remember your name?" The hand massaging his thigh moved to his ass while the other wrapped around his cock. Shuuhei arched his back as Kensei began stroking him lightly and in time with shallow thrusts.  
"Yes," he breathed out in a whisper.  
"Oh, so you do know how long I've wanted to fuck you? How I've been thinking about how you called my name when you came all over yourself? How I wanted to make you come for me over and over?" Kensei snapped his hips up, leaving Shuuhei to bounce helplessly on his cock.  
"More, Kensei! Please, fuck me harder!" Shuuhei whined as he felt his orgasm growing ever closer.  
"Fuck, just like that. I love it when you beg." Kensei's cock brushed against his prostate, sending waves of pleasure through his body.  
Arms went from Kensei's chest to his knees as Shuuhei leaned back, taking the cock deeper. A free hand roamed over the lythe tattooed body, trailing up over a toned chest to tease briefly at a pierced nipple before making its way to his neck. Shuuhei leaned into the touch, hot breath puffing out onto calloused hands. Before he could stop himself, Kensei was wrapping his hand around Shuuhei's neck. A small gasped was choked out as Shuuhei sped up his thrust.  
"Oh, you like it when I do that?" Kensei's words seemed teasing, but really he was asking for the okay to continue.  
Shuuhie nodded best he could while speeding up his thrust. Kensei's grip tightened fractionally, noting his partner's eagerness. Shuuhie didn't seem to know what to do with his hands as they would go from Kensei's chest back to his knees, trying not to move his body too much with the hands around his throat. Finally, the older man gave up and removed his hands from Shuuhei's neck and gripped his hair, pulling his head back.  
"Oh, fuck! Harder, Kensei!" Shuuhie coughed out after taking lungfuls of air.  
"You're a little masochist, aren't you?" Kensei drove into him with more force as he grunted out those words. Shuuhie smirked and met his faster pace.  
"I can't hear you." Kensei gripped the dark strands of hair tighter, pulling it into his fist.  
"Yes, Kensei! I like it when you're rough like this. Oh, shit, I'm so close!" Shuuhei gasped, his thrusts becoming choppy.  
"You gonna cum?" Kensei teased, his thrust becoming just as frantic as he felt Shuuhie stiffen and his body contracting.  
"Yes...oh, fuck! I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna-!" Shuuhei warned. His orgasm shook through him as he shot cum all over his and Kensei's chest and fist. Kensei stroked him through his release before his body went limp.  
Feeling his partner's body tighten around him had Kensei chasing his own release as he snapped his hips up in a hurried pace. Shuuhie did all he could to stay upright, but his overstimulated hole had him moaning through each thrust before he was being flipped over on his back and Kensei gave a few more powerful thrusts before his hips stuttered and he pulled out, shooting cum all over Shuuhei's chest. Silver hair was matted to Kensei's face and he was breathing through his nose. Collapsing onto the bed next to Shuuhie, both men sighed as they tried to catch their breath. Shuuhei threw one arm over his eyes.  
"Holy shit." Kensei sighed as he stared at the ceiling.  
"I think I need another shower." Shuuhei looked down at his body, at the evidence of their night.  
"Yeah, probably." Kensei kissed his partner's hair before letting him go to wash off.


	7. Look Alive, Sunshine

The street that Rukongai Ink was on was sort of strange. Most of the shops were either selling fancy jewelry or overpriced flowers. It didn't seem to be a place to have a tattoo parlor. Mashiro never got tired of telling the story about how it used to be a dental clinic and was still trying to get everyone on board with the matching tooth idea. Izuru was too shy to say no. Renji and Iba had put their foot down. The conversation had come to a stop as the bell chimed, indicating that someone had walked in. There was the faint sound of Nano talking before a man wearing a leather jacket and an annoying grin walked into the artist space. Making snide comments as he looked around. Everyone but Renji glared as they watched him. Masahiro folded her arms and was about to say something but Renji beat her to it.  
"Uh, hello. Is there something we can help you with?" The man didn't say anything but took out his phone before snapping a picture of the redhead before turning to inspect the individual stations.  
"What the fuck?" Renji blinked in confusion before stomping over to the man, boots echoing with each harsh step.  
"Who the fuck do you think you are that you can walk in here and be a total fucking weirdo about everything?" Renji gritted his teeth as he waited for a response.  
"The names Ginjo. I'm sure all of you know me by now. I own the parlor Xcution Ink. Just came here to look around.  
"Yeah, we know you." Iba moved to stand next to Renji.  
"We know that you're an art thief. Now leave." Mashiro added.  
"Mashiro, it's so weird seeing you picking a fight without your dog here to protect you. How is Kensei anyway?"  
Renji repressed a scowl at the mention of the name. Instead, he watched as Mashiro swatted a hand away from her face as Ginjo moved to play with her hair.  
"Please, just leave. It's obvious that no one wants you here." Izuru attempted to defuse the situation.  
"Fine. I'm gone. But get used to seeing me around." Ginjo laughed to himself before leaving the parlor.  
"What a dick," Iba commented, breaking the long silence after the rival artist left.  
"Yeah, why does he act like a Batman villain? Are we going to get some kind of poisonous riddle in the mail or something?" Renji tried to joke, but the others just gave him a stern look.  
"Don't be surprised if you see someone else wandering around with your chest piece soon. That's what Ginjo does." Mashiro warned.  
"That's why he took a picture of you. He did the same thing with her thigh tattoo." Izuru added.  
"Yeah, one of the girls that used to work for him is on my derby team. She showed me his Instagram and it's full of stolen artwork. He's such a creeper." Mashiro seemed more upset than she was showing as she talked about it.  
The next day as Renji walked to work, he stopped by the coffee shop like he normally did when he spotted a group of people across the street.  
"I hear we're getting another tattoo shop." The person handing Renji his order mused.  
"Yeah, the owner came by our place yesterday. Real toolbag." Renji scoffed.  
"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. See ya later Renji." The redhead waved as he balanced the tray of coffees the small distance to Rukongai Ink. Nanao was already there going over the finances, her glasses slowly slipping down her nose.  
"Morning." Renji greeted, sitting down her order before heading over to his station.  
Weekdays were always slow, so it was just those two and Izuru today. Only having small piece appointments today, the redhead took his time getting his things set up.  
Hearing his phone vibrate, Renji looked to see Iba had sent him a screenshot of Ginjo's shops Instagram. In the picture was the outline of Renji's chest piece on another person.  
"What the fuck?" The redhead clinched his phone as he smashed at the keyboard in reply.  
The bell rang at the shop entrance, preventing Renji from being able to let out his anger as his first client arrived.  
Later, when Izuru arrived and they both had a small break in between appointments Renji was able to vent his frustrations.  
"I can't believe someone else is walking around with my chest piece. This is bull shit." Renji crumbled up a sketch he was working on before throwing it in the direction of the trash can.  
"We warned you. I'm surprised he was able to do all this with just a partial picture." Izuru mused.  
"Not really making me feel better." Renji scowled at him.  
The rest of the work day went like this. Renji complaining in between sessions. He felt a little bad that he had to turn a guy away that wanted his whole back done. But, there just wasn't time to do that before his shift ended and Renji didn't want to be at the shop all night.  
Once he left work, Renji tried to message Shuhie again. It had been a little over a week since he had spoken to him. He even tried to catch the brunette before work, but it seemed that Shuuhie left earlier than normal to avoid talking to him. Biting his lip as he stared at the message, he hit send.  
'It shouldn't be this nerve-wracking to just say hi to someone.' Renji thought as he watched the message send.  
On the other side of the line, Shuuhie felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Seeing that it was Renji made his heart race. He didn't know how to deal with him now that it had been so long since they had spoken. Ignoring him was the only thing he could do now. Shuuhie felt like he had backed himself into a corner.  
Renji spent the ride home checking his phone for a reply. Realizing he wasn't going to get one when he reached his apartment, the redhead knocked on Shuuhies door. No reply. He could hear music coming from inside, so he knew Shuuhei was home. He knocked again and waited.  
"This is bull shit." Renji kicked at the ground before going into his own apartment and throwing his things down on his bed.  
That's when he noticed the fire escape. Poking his head out his bedroom window, Renji realized that his balcony was connected to Shuuheis. At least he thought it was his.  
"Worth a shot." The redhead shrugged.  
In retrospect, it was not a good idea. He didn't even know Shuuhie could yell. Days later Akon came by while Renji was on his way to the gym and informed him that Shuuhie was on a work-related trip and wouldn't be home until late tomorrow. He was just stopping by to feed his cat. Renji didn't understand why he was telling him this. Why would he care about Shuuhie being away for work? Then he remembered who else Shuuhie worked with and scowled.  
The next night, Renji was telling Izuru about what happened over drinks. Izuru was doing his best not to say anything rational to make his friend feel bad about what happened. So, he let him complain. Iba, on the other hand, was giving him terrible advice and only making things worse.  
"You're just lucky he didn't call the cops on you. What were you thinking?" Izuru scolded, hearing enough of Iba's bad advice.  
"I was thinking he's been blowing me off for damn near two weeks and I just wanted to see him." Renji took a long swig of his drink. Izuru just sighed.  
"That's what he gets for not answering you. He's lucky to have a guy like you. So what if you fought his boss daddy or whatever." Iba slurred.  
"Oh, my god." Izuru facepalmed at the comments.  
"Have you tried talking to him since then?" Izuru changed the subject from Iba talking about trying sneak into Shuuhies house again.  
"Nah, Akon told me he's on some work trip anyway. Don't wanna bother him."  
"That's good. Maybe when he comes back you can talk to him." The blond knew it wasn't really the best advice. But seeing that they were all drinking, he didn't want to be a downer by telling him to forget about Shuuhei and move on. After all, that's what he had to do.

The following morning Shuuhei woke to a stale dark room. Cheap curtains hid the morning light and he had to blink several times to adjust to the strange darkness. Looking at the neon numbers on the alarm clock, Shuuhei decided it was still too early to do anything and covered his face with the blanket. Only then did he remember that he wasn't in the bed alone. Cautiously opening one eye to look at the sleeping man next to him, Shuuhie felt his heart beating in his throat. The previous night's activities rushed through his brain and Shuuhie felt his face heat up.  
"You're gonna burn a hole through me with all that staring." Kensei's gravelly voice caught the brunette off guard, causing the other to chuckle before turning onto his side and snaking an arm around a tattooed waist. Relaxing into the embrace, Shuuhei sank into the muscular chest and allowed himself to be enveloped in warmth.  
"Go back to sleep. It's still early." Kensei didn't open his eyes as he spoke. Taking his advice, the anxious man willed his heart beat back to normal and fell asleep.

Hours later, the pair had checked out of the hotel and were exploring the streets of Akihabara. It was still rather early, and most of the shops hadn't opened yet. It was rather strange to see the streets that were usually swarming with people to be deserted. Most people were already at work at this time, so the only ones occupying the streets were shopkeepers waiting to open for the day.  
Kensei couldn't help but notice the slight limp in his partners' step and after some convincing, they stopped at a nearby cafe. Shuuhei eased into the chair and they both ordered. Giving the waitress an awful lie about how he wasn't hurt had her stammering before leaving to fulfill their order.  
"I guess I was a little hard on ya last night." Kensei teased, giving him a smirk that said he wasn't all that sorry.  
"Yeah, well, it's been awhile." Shuuhie could tell that his face was slowly growing red, which made Kenseis grin widen.  
The two left the cafe shortly after and continued their short walk to the comic book store where they found a large tan man with pink hair. He greeted them and instructed them to look around while he went to get Love. There was also a short blond girl shelving merchandise. She wore pigtails and a scowl as she watched Shuuhie pick up a book and drop it. Kensei glared as she rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Moments later a tall African- American man with a star-shaped afro walked out and introduced himself as Love.  
The interview went surprisingly smooth, even with Shuuhie fighting back his fanboy instincts. It seemed less like an interview and more like they were talking to a friend. Even Kensei, who had no real interest in manga was able to hold a conversation without it seeming stiff and awkward. In the end, Shuuhie left with a small amount of merchandise, and they were able to get a recording that wasn't terrible for their youtube channel. The men parted ways after that and made their way back to Kenseis car.  
"I can't believe you bought all that crap," Kensei noted, eyeing the bag of figures Shuuhie got from the shop.  
"Whatever, how often do you find Beetlejuice merch here! I hope Kaze isn't scared of him." Shuhei grinned, holding up the plush doll.  
"You're such a nerd." Kensei shook his head and climbed into his car. Shuuhies grin widened as he did the same, a bit slower.  
The ride back home was even more awkward as Shuuhei knew there was a conversation they needed to have. He had so many questions, but couldn't think of how to word them. While he was thinking Kensei turned on the radio. Shuuhei took this as him not wanting to talk, so he stared out the window and silently began to panic.  
The ride wasn't longer than an hour, but it felt like days as Shuuhei thought about how his and Kensei's relationship had a huge rift in it. He thought about how strange work was going to be now that they had sex and how they probably won't be doing projects together anymore.  
'What if I get fired for this?' Shuuhei began to panic. He looked back at his partner as he turned down the street leading to his apartment complex.  
Shuuheis anxiety worsened as Kensei parked next to his motorcycle and turned off the car. Th brunette gawked at him, waiting for what he wasn't sure to happen, but he knew it would be bad. That's when he heard Kensei chuckle.  
"You're so cute when you're nervous. What's got you so worked up? Think I'm gonna blow you off now?" Kensei joked, which sent a new wave of anxiety through Shuuheis body. He tried to form words to the contrary, but all that came out was a stutter.  
"Come on, I'll help you with your things." Kensei gave a lopsided grin before popping the trunk and hauling his luggage to the elevator.  
Once on his floor, Shuuhei tried to juggle his things thinking Kensei was leaving from there only to have the older man roll his eyes playfully and grab one of the bags.  
"You wouldn't have this problem if you didn't buy so much shit." Kensei scolded as they walked to his doorstep.  
Once at his door the two stood there in silence, looking at one another but not knowing what to say. Shuuhei fumbled with his keys, the keychains clinking together loudly and making the brunette self-conscious about how much noise he was making. Nervousness caused him to drop the keys, face turning red at his own clumsiness.  
Kensei smirked before placing Shuuheis bags on the floor before reaching down to pick up the keys.  
"What's got you all wound up?" The older man asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.  
"I uh…" Shuuhei began before the door next to them opened and a familiar redhead exited his apartment.  
"Fuck my life." Shuuheis eyes widened as Renji walked the opposite direction. He noticed the redhead had a pair of headphones on, he could hear faint rock music leaking out of the device.  
"Maybe he didn't notice us." the brunette thought again.  
Shuuhei looked at Kensei and noticed his body stiffen. A scowl on his face as he waited for the other man to leave. It was then that Shuuhei realized how close he was to Kensei. He could feel his body heat radiating off him. Just then Renji began patting his pockets before cursing to himself and turning around. As soon as Renji turned around his eyes widened and his face contorted into a scowl.  
"Fucking really?" Renji growled, ripping his headphones off.  
Shuuhei felt himself turn pale. He really wasn't ready to deal with these two fighting again. Going into panic mode, the brunette grabbed his keys from Kensei in attempt to get into his apartment and hide from the world. All he wanted to do wrap himself in a blanket burrito with his cat and over analyze what happened with him and Kensei last night.  
Unlocking his door, Shuuhei attempted to slip inside and hide from the world, but the other two followed behind him, Kensei grabbing his bags on the way. The shouting match continued as they stood in the living room. Shuuhie felt a wave of dread wash over him as Renji turned his frustration onto him.  
"And don't act like you're innocent in all this shit!" The redhead pointed an accusing finger.  
"I don't...how?" Shuuhie felt himself shrinking into himself.  
"Don't blame him for your shit personality." Kensei moved to defend, stepping between them.  
"How is it not his fault? He led us both on! You hide behind your nervous personality because you don't know what you want!" Renji shoulder checked Kensei to look at the brunette. Shuuhie felt himself shaking with anxiety and rage. He thought he was upfront with him about everything. How was he leading him on? What did he do?  
"Oh, bull shit!" Kensei stepped in again.  
Shuuheis eyes widened at the realization. Renji was right, he wanted both him and Kensei. But he couldn't have both of them. That was selfish and wrong. Shuuhie was so lost in thought he almost missed Kensei squaring his shoulders and Renji scowling as he murder walked towards him.  
"Wow...what are you two doing? You can't fight in here!" Shuuhie tried to reason.  
"The fuck I can't." Kensei grabbed Renji by the collar of his shirt. The redhead in response swung at him, punching him in the jaw and causing him to let go.  
Shuuhei watched on as the two traded hits, flashes of his childhood coming back to him and causing him to feel numb.  
"Stop," Shuuhie called. They didn't seem to hear him.  
"Stop!" He yelled, the two stared at him but did as he asked. Renji had a cut lip and Kensei's nose was bleeding, but they let go of each other.  
"I can't take this shit anymore!" Shuuhie was pacing now. His head in his hands as he tried to think through what had just happened.  
"What do you mean?" Kensei asked.  
"I want you both, and I know that's not fair. I know that I can't have you both." Shuuhie mumbled but stopped walking in circles.  
"You want us both?" Kensei seemed confused.


End file.
